Predetermined Fates
by Leather2Lace
Summary: A teenage girl is abducted from her home in New Jersey and the unsub specifically demands the presence of the BAU. When the team arrives, they are completely unprepared for the horror this sociopath has in store for them. As the case unravels, the life of one of their own will never be the same as they realize that the past haunts even those who are blissfully oblivious to it.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! Just letting you know that this is my first Criminal Minds fic so reviews are more than wanted! The story is already about 20 chapters long (a little more than halfway) and I already know the ending I want. A sequel will definitely be considered, especially once I see the responce this one gets. I post fairly often considering the fact that I know what it feels like to follow a story that doesn't post for months, aka painful, so don't worry about that! I hope you enjoy Predetermined Fates & leave a review! Thank you! Also, a sidenote: the 100th reviewer will be featured in the sequel as a main character! I'll be PMing them as soon as it happens (if it does). **

**Chapter I One More**

_It feels like I have lost this fight_

_They think that I am staying down but I'm not giving up tonight_

_Tonight the wall is coming down_

_I am stronger than my fears_

_This is the mountain that I climb_

_Got 100 steps to go tonight I'll make it 99!_

_One more, go-_

Leila yanked the headphones out of her ears and tossed her Iphone on the kitchen counter. Her daily 5-mile run had drained her more than usual today but at least there was a reason. Today was the 6 month anniversary. Six months ago today was the worst day of Leila's eighteen years and jogging into an empty house didn't make the teenager feel any better. She shook the thoughts that haunted her for the hundredth time today and ran the water for a much needed bath. As Leila waited for the water to fill she examined herself in the mirror. According to others she was extremely good-looking, a perfect combination of darks and lights. Her raven colored hair was pulled up into a now messy ponytail with strands of her bangs starting to make their way down her face. Pair of sapphire eyes gazed back at her and were only enhanced by her almost snow-white skin. Leila couldn't help but remind herself that she looked nothing like any of her family members. She scoffed and almost laughed her own stupidity. '_That tends to happen when you're adopted' _she thought to herself. Once in a while, she allowed herself to indulge in the fantasy that someone out there saw the same eyes looking back at them every morning; the same pitch black hair and the same pale skin. Again, the teenager nearly chuckled out loud but was stopped by the sound of water overflowing.

"Damn it!" she mumbled and made her way to the faucet. When she stood to start removing her clothing, Leila caught the sliver of a shadow in the mirror reflecting into the hallway of her house. Was someone in the house with her? No, that was impossible; no one else lived here. Leila cautiously took a step outside the bathroom door, paranoia setting in quickly. Had she locked the door when she left for her run? When was that, an hour ago? Was someone _waiting _for her to get back? A chill ran down the teenager's spine as she grabbed the closest solid object in her reach: a lamp. Leila stalked through the kitchen, painfully aware of the creak each step made on the wooden floor. Maybe if she stayed where the floor was wooden, she would hear whoever it was before they caught up with her. Leila was fairly confident that she could handle any physical confrontation she was confronted with but what if the intruder had a gun? A full ride next fall on a swimmer's scholarship wouldn't guarantee much then. There it was again! The shadow! Leila spun, silently swearing. Before she could complete her turn she was met with a blow to her left temple. She hit the ground before she could understand what had happened. Just as she started differentiating the difference between up and down, she felt a hand close around her mouth. Her eyes shot open only to see a face covered in a ski mask staring at her. Really, a ski mask? How stereotypical.

"Come quietly or we're going to have to do this the hard way." The man beneath the mask growled at her. Which movie did this freak jump out of? Leila replied by bringing a knee to his groin. He rolled off of her and she began to half-walk half-crawl towards the front door. It was 5 PM on a Saturday in June, surely there would be someone outside that could help her. Just as she reached the stairs that connected to the platform where the door was, Leila felt rough hands grab and spin her. There was fire in the intruder's cold grey stare as he mumbled, "Hard way it is" and the next thing Leila remembers is the sound of her bones cracking as she was thrown down the staircase.


	2. Chapter 2

Hopefully chapter 1 caught your interest. I couldn't just leave my new readers with that so here's some more BAU lovin' Oh & I obviously don't own CM or Paget would be a billionaire and air in every episode. Let's not talk about it.

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**Chapter II Cancelled Plans**

"So what are everyone's plans for the weekend?" David Rossi asks his fellow profilers as the six members of the BAU board the jet. The case they had just closed in Colorado had been hard on everyone and they were all looking forward to a relaxing weekend more the usual.

"Sleep. Just lots of sleep." Spencer Reid replies, only half-awake. The rest of the team chuckled although they all felt the same. The plane ride would give them all the opportunity the catch up on some much needed shut eye.

"Oh, come on Pretty Boy! You cannot seriously be planning on spending the entire weekend in bed." Derek Morgan called from the back of the plane.

"Like you planned on doing anything different." Emily Prentiss said, already knowing the type of answer she would receive.

"That's exactly what I plan on doing Prentiss," Derek smirked, "Except I won't be alone."

"You're a pig." Emily replied as she placed her feet on the seat beside her and a pillow on JJ's shoulder. The blonde media liaison gave her a look.

"Do you know how long this flight is?" Emily peered up at her friend said,

"Yea, not long enough," and closed her eyes. Jennifer Jareau sighed as she adjusted her own pillow and propped her legs on the opposite seat as Emily had.

"What about you Sunshine?" Morgan asked.

"Hmm?" JJ opened one eye to look at Derek and realized he had asked her a question. "Oh, just hanging out with the little man I suppose."

"He's almost five now right?" Aaron Hotchner asked the liaison. JJ nodded against her pillow, eyes already closing again. Sooner than they expected, the entire team was asleep forgetting about sharing their weekend plans with the rest. As turbulence increased, the six were jostled awake minutes before landing. No one spoke, as they were all still too tired to form coherent sentences, until they mumbled their goodbyes in the Bureau parking lot. As each member shut the door of their vehicles, a sound they did not expect to hear for the next three days startled them: their cell phones. Before anyone had a chance to put their car in 'drive', they were out again, heading towards the entrance of the building they both hated and loved; one more than the other at the moment. Apparently, a teenage girl had been kidnapped almost 24 hours ago from her home in New Jersey. Normally, this wouldn't be the kind of case the FBI's finest would be involved in, but this was different. The kidnapper had specifically demanded the presence of the BAU.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III Jumbled Information**

"An eighteen year old girl living on her own in a house like that?" Morgan gestured to the picture of the house, or better yet, mansion, on the screen. "Explanation please, Baby Girl."

"Ah, my loves, this is where our story turns into a bit of downer." Garcia clicked a button on the remote controlling the monitor and the team was flooded with images of a car crash. Three bodies; two adults and one child, all barely recognizable. Hotch and JJ visible flinched seeing a child so close to their sons' ages in the middle of the carnage. "Allison, David, and Henry Ryan; 39, 41, and 5. The couple had apparently decided to go for a midnight stroll with their son and were…bombarded by a drunk driver. Allison and David died on impact but their son, Henry, died in the hospital a few hours later." Emily turned to JJ and saw the blonde's face turn whiter than her normal pale shade. The mention of a boy exactly her son's age with the same name left the blonde looking more like a deer in the headlights. She placed her hand on the liaisons and offered a squeeze which was graciously returned.

"That's terrible, but what exactly does this have to do with our missing girl?" Rossi asked the technical analyst.

"I'm glad you asked my Italian Stallion." Garcia was only too happy to click away the brutal images of the crash. They were replaced by a photo of a young girl, presumably the victim. "Meet Leila Ryan, our victim and the couple's eldest. She was, thankfully, not in the car at the time of the accident. Young Leila's life was pretty much, well for lack of a better word, perfect. She graduated this June with a full athletic scholarship to Stanford and is also on the fast track of becoming America's next Kelly Clarkson." Garcia pulled up a video of Leila in a recording studio, inaudibly singing a fast-paced song.

"Do we think that's what put her on the unsub's radar?" JJ spoke up.

"Unfortunately, besides the fact that she's talented, smart, good-looking, and obviously unlucky, we don't know that much about her at all." Reid said. The team glanced at their resident genius, awaiting more information. "After her parent's and brother's deaths, Leila's grades began slipping. She missed a handful of practice, which I'm guessing is a big no-no for someone receiving an athletic scholarship." JJ nodded. "Even the music she began recording became darker after their deaths."

"I'm not really hearing anything that could attract a kidnapper though." Rossi admitted. "Besides the death of her family, she's a pretty normal teenager. She just has a more promising career than most."

"Garcia," Emily spoke up for the first time. "Can you pull up pictures of the parents and brother please?" Penelope clicked a few buttons and out came passport photos of the deceased. All brown hair with green eyes, practically opposites of Leila. "Are we seeing anything here guys?" Emily asked her team.

"Em's right. Leila looks like she could be adopted." JJ inched forward as Garcia began clicking away at her laptop. The device pinged seconds later followed by a triumphant woot from Garcia.

"Looks like the Wonder Women are correct!" she nearly shouted. "Leila was adopted when she was six years old. Her biological parents had left her in a hospital…on the day of her birth." Garcia's tone shifted and her mood dropped. "Who would just abandon a beautiful baby girl like that?" she asked out loud.

"Do we have an ID on the birth parents?" Hotch asked.

"Hmmm, no. Looks like they just left her." Garcia shook her head.

"You think that's the reason she was taken? Because of her birth family?" Emily asked her boss.

"It makes more sense than taking her because she can sing." Hotch replied. "Wheel's up in 10." The team seemed a bit confused as they rose to leave. "None of us have slept in over 24 hours. Who's going to drive all the way to northern Jersey with one of us behind the wheel?" Everyone nodded, understanding the decision. "Besides, we'll get there before the sun comes up." A collective groan escaped the lips of every agent as they made their way back towards the hanger.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter IV On The Road Again**

As the team arrived at the hanger, JJ excused herself and pulled out her cell phone. Being a mother with this job was never an easy thing, especially when she had to be the one to tell her son that their plans would be postponed. Again. After a few rings, a deep accented voice spoke.

"Hey JJ." Her husband, Will LaMontagne Jr. said.

"Hey Will, listen," JJ began and heard him sigh on the other side. He knew what she was about to say. "We caught a case tonight-today, whatever, but apparently we're heading to New Jersey. It shouldn't take long."

"What kind of case?" Will asked, mildly amused.

"Kidnapping. They guy asked for us specifically."

"What do you want me to tell him?" Will referred to Henry, their four and a half year old.

"Can you put him on?" JJ knew it wasn't fair to have Will be the bad guy when it was clearly her fault. She had promised to show Henry some new soccer moves during the weekend and now he would be left with Will or her mother. There was a rustle and moments later a high-pitched voice exclaimed,

"Hi Momma! When you coming home?"

"Hi Baby. Momma's got to work today so I'll be back as soon as I can to play. Okay?" There was a silence on the other side. JJ anxiously waited for a reply from her son.

"Okay Momma, we play later." Henry sounded a bit disappointed, but then again, who wouldn't be. This was the second weekend in a row where JJ had to cancel on her own son.

"Thanks baby. Can you put Daddy on?"

"Okay, love you!"

"I love you too." JJ waited to hear from her husband.

"Yes?" It seemed like Will was more annoyed with JJ than Henry was. JJ cleared her throat.

"Will, I'm going to call my mom so she can babysit. I know you have to work."

"Alright." The silence between the couple felt like a knife to JJ's heart.

"Okay." As she went to hang up, she heard Will telling her to wait.

"I love you." He said. JJ smiled and replied,

"I love you too." Henry had heard the exchange and shouted into the phone,

"I love you three!" causing both JJ and Will to chuckle.

"Be safe." Will told her.

"You too. Bye." As she hung up, Emily motioned to her that they were boarding. The phone call to her mother had to be quick. As she walked towards the jet, she dialed and after four rings her mother's voice came up.

"Jennifer, how are you?" she asked.

"I'm fine mom. Listen, I need you to babysit Henry for the weekend. Will's working and we just got called on another case in-"

"Didn't you just finish one in Colorado? Jennifer, you need to spend more time with your family and less time running around with a gun." JJ sighed.

"Mom, I don't have the time for this." JJ sat in a seat as her team stared at her increasing annoyance. "Just go okay?"

"Alright, Jen, alright. What kind of case are you working on?"

"Kidnapping of an eighteen year old girl in Jersey. She was adopted so we think she was taken because of her birth parents." JJ informed her. An uneasy silence befall the two and Sandy Jareau finally said,

"Well okay, be careful. Bye." And hung up. JJ stared at the phone in her hands, surprised at how quickly her mother had ended their conversation.

"Everything okay?" she heard Morgan ask.

"Yea, my mom's just being," JJ thought of a proper word. "Strange."

"Aren't all mothers?" Morgan joked. JJ raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to correct himself. "Except you, Jay!"

"Nice." Rossi mumbled.

"Alright, let's go over the case quickly and maybe we can squeeze some sleep out of this flight." Hotch's voice boomed. They all nodded and sat together.

"So we have Leila Ryan, an 18 year old who's allowed to live by herself in a populated city. She was 17 when her family died. Why would the courts grant her permission to live on her own for a year?" Emily asked.

"It says here that the judge presiding over her case deemed her responsible and intelligent enough to take care of herself before she went off to college in September." JJ read the file aloud.

"Where did she get the money to afford in-school housing and everyday expenses?" Rossi asked.

"Apparently the Ryans were, well, filthy rich." Morgan said. "Of course, when their son died with them, everything they had went straight to Leila. She owns the house, as well as one in a Greek island, a BMW 5 series, an Escalade, an Audi TT, and a sailboat that is currently docked in Long Beach Island. Not to mention that millions she received in life insurance."

"Yea, I'm sure that made her feel loads better." Emily grumbled.

"Is that what I said, Prentiss?" Morgan turned to glare at her.

"Kids, if you can't play nice, you can't play at all." JJ ordered, not bothering to look up from the file in her hands. Reid and Rossi chuckled. JJ had always been the 'mommy' of the team well before she became an actual mommy. Emily and Derek turned away from each other as soon as JJ had spoken.

"Before we end up shooting one another," Hotch stood up. "I think we should all get some rest. We've got about 45 minutes left." With that, every member seemed to relax. Once again, the only rest they would get would be on a moving piece of metal. JJ and Emily sat next to each other as usual, Morgan slumped in a chair and put his headphones on, Reid was already asleep with his head against the window, Rossi finished reading a file, and Hotch stared blankly out the window. As Emily picked up a pillow and moved to get comfortable, JJ snatched it out of her hands with a soft 'tsk', placed it on Emily's shoulder, and closed her eyes.

"Do you know how long this flight is?" Emily joked.

"Not long enough." JJ replied after a yawn.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter V Final Preparations **

They would be here soon. He made sure of it. He had called and demanded their presence immediately or the girl would die. Slowly. He had no problem hurting her and once she woke up, they would all know it. He chuckled to himself, knowing that he was certifiably insane and not caring. All he wanted was _her_. And he would have her no matter what. The girl over his shoulders moaned, forcing him to concentrate at the task at hand. He knew she was strong, he had been watched for nearly a year now and when her precious family fell apart, it was only too perfect. It was too easy to find her, to take her, and now it would be easy to get what he wanted out of her. He dropped her, not caring that her body made a loud 'thump' as it hit the concrete floor. There were preparations to be made. He tied the girl's hands with a wire and decided to leave her feet as they were. It's not like she would ever get out. When he secured the knot, he left the room and returned a minute later, video camera in tow. He couldn't help but smile as he set up what he would need. The show was about to begin.

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I think I'll leave you beautiful people with that. Don't hate me.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter VI Knock, Knock**

"Agent Jareau?" a tall, lean man with a badge made his way towards the group of Agents.

"You must be Detective Knox." JJ shook hands with the man. His golden hair shined as the light hit it and adding that to JJ's nearly blinded the agents standing behind her.

"Chris, please." He smiled and revealed inhumanly perfect white teeth. JJ noticed his green eyes leave hers for a second and glance at her right hand. Noticing the ring that occupied her finger, his expression saddened. JJ rolled her eyes.

"These are SSA Hotchner, Rossi, Morgan, Dr. Reid, and Prentiss." JJ purposely left Emily for last, knowing that it would brighten the Detective's mood. He shook hands with all of them, smiled at Emily, and escorted them into the room they would occupy for the entire investigation. As the team entered the spacious room, Knox stopped in front of Emily, almost causing the two to run into each other. JJ giggled out loud.

"Agent Prentiss, I'm sorry I didn't catch a first name." He smiled at her, showing off his perfect teeth once again.

"That's because it wasn't given." Prentiss tried to hide a smirk.

"Hey Emily, we're about to start." JJ called out, louder than she needed to. Emily shot the blonde a look and began walking towards her team. Morgan and JJ were already chuckling in the corner.

"Goodbye Emily." Detective Knox winked at her and went back to his desk. Emily entered the room and took the seat furthest from JJ. The blonde winked at her, mimicking Knox and Emily stuck her tongue at the woman.

"If you're finished?" the two women heard Rossi's voice and shot to attention. Emily avoided the look Morgan gave her. She knew he would tease her about the encounter later.

"Let's review what we have." Hotch said. JJ stood and took the remote controlling the flat screen on the wall. Reid had just finished separating files and tacking pictures and notes on the board. JJ clicked a button and Leila Ryan's senior photo showed up. The picture was taken before the death of her family. She was smiling; something the team doubted she did often these days. Her electric blue eyes were bright and attentive. The sharp curve of her eyebrows only enhanced the fox-like look the teenager naturally had.

"Leila Ryan was abducted from her home in Jersey City less than 48 hours ago. Approximately an hour after she was taken, Jersey City PD received a 9-1-1 call stated that the speaker had her and demanded that we, the BAU, be here or she would die." JJ motioned to Garcia on the laptop to play the recording of the call.

"9-1-1, what's your emergency?" the dispatcher said.

"Leila Ryan, age 18, 255 Torren Street." A calm, husky voice stated.

"Does she need medical attention, sir?"

"Not really." The man chuckled. "But she will before I'm done with her."

"Are you saying you kidnapped this woman, sir?" the dispatcher's voice was clearly taken aback.

"Yes and if you don't get the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit here by morning, you'll be receiving her in pieces." The unsub hung up.

"He doesn't state any demands other than he wants us." Morgan reiterated.

"Seventy-five percent of kidnappers either commit the crime for money or political benefit. In fact, out of a panel of 100-"

"This doesn't fit the political aspect of the crime." Hotch interrupted. "But money is another thing."

"The Ryans were extremely wealthy." Emily said. "Could it be that he wants their money?"

"How would he get it?" JJ asked. "By kidnapping her, he's keeping her away from ATM's, banks, everything. She's the only one with a legal right to it, therefore the only one who can give it away."

"It would make more sense if he had threatened her first." Morgan agreed. "And when she refused to give him the money he wanted, he took her."

"But why call us?" Rossi asked out loud. No one had an answer to that.

"Morgan, JJ start at the house. Go through everything." Hotch ordered. "Emily and I will head to the recording studio, it seemed like she spent a lot of time there. Rossi and Reid, go through the files we got. Teachers, faculty, anyone who has come in contact with Leila in the past year." The four agents stood and headed to the SUV's they had been provided.

"So Princess," Morgan trotted to catch up to her before she made it to the safety of the car. Emily rolled her eyes.

"So Morgan."

"That was a cute little introduction back there." Morgan smiled at her.

"Shut up." Emily mumbled, trying and failing to hide the blush from her cheeks.

"Hey, Yenta! Let's go." JJ called across the parking lot. Emily made a mental note to thank the blonde later. When she made her way to the SUV, Hotch was already inside waiting for her. She put her seatbelt on and turned to face her boss, who surprisingly was smirking at her.

"So Emily…" Hotch began. Emily groaned and rolled her eyes again. This was going to be a long car ride.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter VII Behind Closed Doors**

"This is the place?" Morgan asked his partner, mouth agape. JJ stood, mirroring Morgan's expression.

"255 Torren Street, Jersey City." JJ confirmed.

"Its-"

"Gigantic." she finished for him. He nodded and the two made their way to the front door. Morgan ducked underneath the police tape and held it up for JJ. As they approached the front door, the looks on their faces only intensified. Morgan turned the handle of the elaborate door and made their way inside. The agents stood on a platform that held the front door. Stairs led both upstairs and down.

"I'll take the downstairs." Morgan said and JJ nodded. JJ glanced down and saw a few specs of blood from the top stair to the front door. Everything had been photographed and tagged so there was no risk of contamination but JJ still felt uneasy. There was a struggle. Of course there was, the girl was practically an Olympic athlete. Neighbors told officers that she went on a daily 5-mile run. Leila Ryan could give Morgan a run for his money at any physical event. Unfortunately, nothing had stopped the unsub from taking her. As JJ reached the top of the staircase, she saw a kitchen to her right and a hallway, presumably leading to the bedrooms, to her left. She decided that her best bet was the bedroom. Teenage girls usually let their emotions run free in the decorating of their rooms. There were three rooms when JJ reached the end of the hall. She entered the parent's room first. There was a king-sized bed, a television, beautiful curtains, and a bathroom. Unfortunately, there had been no sign that anyone had been in here in months. JJ guessed the same went for the brother's room. Henry, the 5 year old. JJ shuddered and put the thought out of her mind. Imagining her son in the middle of the wreckage would help no one. She left the room exactly as it was. There was a chance she would be walking into a dead little boy's room next. JJ took a breath and opened the door. Indeed, she entered Henry Ryan's bedroom. There was a solar system painted on the ceiling. Pearl white cabinets held his clothes and an embellished toy box remained opened in the corner. Toys were scattered everywhere. Part of the carpet was tucked into itself, probably from the activity the toddler had created. The bed remained unmade, the curtains half opened. Leila hadn't been in her brother's room since the accident. JJ was filled with a profound sadness. It hit her like a wave as she felt a tear slide down her cheek.

"Seems like Leila came in through the back after-" Morgan stood underneath the doorway of the child's room. He saw JJ's back to him and he placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. She turned, abruptly wiping the fallen tear from her cheek.

"She hasn't even opened the door, Derek." She told her partner. Morgan pulled the blonde in and hugged her. He couldn't even image how this made her feel. A dead toddler with the same name and age as her son. He didn't have to say anything, he just held her tight until she broke the embrace. "Sorry." She mumbled.

"There's nothing to be sorry for." Morgan smiled at her and she returned it.

"There's nothing in the parent's room either. What'd you find downstairs?"

"After her run she came in through the back. Then came upstairs and it looks like she started running the water for a bath when I'm guessing she heard something. She was brought down over there," he pointed down the hallway, "and almost made it to the staircase before he got her. We don't know how the blood ended up at the bottom of the stairs though." Morgan frowned.

"He pushed her." JJ said, barely above a whisper. Morgan stared at her in confusion. "Think about it Derek. How else would he have so easily incapacitated her?" Derek nodded.

"You're probably right." Derek admitted sourly. "He obviously doesn't care for her in the slightest." They both recalled the 9-1-1 recording they listened to.

"So she wasn't taken for money, she wasn't taken because he's in love with her." JJ frowned. "What the hell does he want?"

"Fantastic question Jay. I found something else down the hall." Morgan led his partner to a corner in the living room. There was a fully stocked bar. As JJ approached it, she saw that it wasn't fully stocked at all. Most of the bottles were empty while others had a sip or two left in them. "Leila's been drinking since her family died. Heavily." JJ sighed and turned on her heels with Morgan behind her. The two opened the door to Leila's room and what they saw surprised them. The room was spotless. Either Leila was obsessive/compulsive or this was one of her coping mechanisms. JJ went towards the closet, hoping to find a clue to the girl's personality. There were no dresses or skirts to be found, mainly button ups and work-out clothes. Not surprised, JJ closed the closet door and sighed. The house had given them nothing.

"Baby Girl," Morgan said into his phone. "I need you to check Leila Ryan's computer." He sat at the desk and pressed a few keys. "She's got a password, can you crack it?" A pause as Garcia undoubtedly scorned him for doubting her skills. "I'm sure you could, Red. Alright IP address is . Okay." He hung up. "She's emailing everything she finds." He said to JJ.

"This entire place gave us nothing, Derek." JJ let her frustration show. She toyed with the horseshoe necklace around her neck for the thousandth time today. Derek knew it was her tell, the way the team knows if something is really bothering her.

"It's alright JJ, we'll find something. We'll help her." Morgan placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You don't know that." JJ started to walk away. Derek was a bit surprised at how emotional his partner had gotten and went after her. When he caught up with her in the front lawn, he spun her around to face him.

"Jay, is everything okay?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

"No Morgan, nothing is okay." She nearly shouted. "I had to abandon my son, again, to come here and find a teenager whose life was destroyed because of an idiot with a car, and now she's probably going to die at the hands of that _freak _because no one knows what he wants!" JJ took a breath and closed her eyes for a second. Derek waited for her to calm down to speak.

"Jennifer, I know this is hard, especially for you," he said. "But Leila needs our help right now. We're the only ones who can save her. Okay?" JJ nodded but didn't look convinced. The two turned and made their way back to the SUV. As they drove off, Morgan caught JJ clutching her necklace so tightly, her knuckles were almost white.


	8. Chapter 8

Hey everyone, I've gotten some concerns regarding the formatting/styling of the document. I've gone over it countless times & I'm really confused as to what's bothering you guys. My OCD will simply not allow this to continue so if you have any concerns/complaints over the way the paragraphs are, dialogue or anything PLEASE PM ME! I apologize in advance for my lack of understanding. Also I forgot to mention that the song in the first chapter is One More by Superchick. Happy reading!

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**Chapter VIII Unspoken Promise**

"Are you Alexander Withers?" Hotch asked the man with his back to him. The man turned and nodded. "I'm SSA Hotchner and this is SSA Prentiss. We're with the FBI." Hotch and Emily shook hands with Mr. Withers.

"Is this about Leila?" he asked. The two agents nodded. "Please, have a seat." Withers motioned to the three seats facing an empty recording studio. There were hundreds of buttons and lights on the table in front of the three. Emily couldn't help but stare inside the studio. When Leila wasn't in the pool, she spent the rest of her time here. The man who took her would have known this. She was snapped out of her thoughts when Withers asked, "What do you want to know?"

"Mr. Withers, did you ever notice anyone watching Leila?" Hotch asked.

"No, I would have known if someone was bothering her."

"You two were close?" Emily asked. The man nodded and smiled.

"She's like my little sister. I would have known." He insisted. Withers is over thirty years old and Emily found it strange that the love he had for the girl could be classified as 'brotherly'.

"Did Leila ever mention being bothered or harassed by anyone?"

"No, she would have told me and I would have taken care of them." Withers made no attempt to hide his violent nature.

"Besides her family's death, can you think of anything that would have been life-changing for Leila?"

"She started drinking." Withers mumbled. "After they died, she would come in here hung-over, do her songs, and walk out without saying a word to anyone. Even me. A complete stranger could have seen that something was wrong. Her songs were different, darker. On the rare occasion that she would take off her sunglasses, you could see it in her eyes." Withers trailed off.

"See what?" Emily asked.

"Guilt. She blames herself." Emily and Hotch exchanged glances. "She thinks they died because of her and it's literally killing her." Withers picked up a remote. "Here, watch." He pressed a button and the screen in front of them changed into an image of Leila in the studio. She was wearing a purple tank top with white jeans, her hair was half up, and she was obviously enjoying herself. As she sang, looked into the camera and smiled. Her shockingly blue eyes seemed to pierce through the lens and stare into the viewer. Emily could only recall seeing eyes that electric blue in one other person. Leila's hair faintly reminded Emily of hers, jet black and shining despite the lack of proper lighting. Emily saw Leila close her and wait for the song to begin.

_Your love, it burns  
Away my darkness  
You guide me when I'm blind  
You are the light  
That shines inside me  
Showing me I'm  
So much more  
When I've been on a losing streak  
Hit so hard I couldn't speak  
But when I hear Your voice it fades away _

As the song ended, the sound of a door opening was heard in the video. Leila immediately removed the headphones she was wearing and smiled at the visitor. A little boy, Henry, came into the frame and jumped up at Leila. She caught him and kissed him on the cheek. The boy giggled at something his sister whispered to him. Withers pressed the pause button and gazed at the screen a second more than the agents would have liked.

"That was before the accident." He stated as he searched for a new reel. He stopped after a few seconds. "This was a few days before she was taken."

The song began with a soft guitar and advanced to the humming of Leila. Her eyes lacked the color they had in the previous video, her lips were chapped, her hair was dull, there were dark circles forming underneath her eyes and the healthy glow that had surrounded her was gone. As soon as words started to pour out of her mouth, the agents realized the language was foreign. Unfortunately, Emily understood every word.

_To xlomo to prosopaki sou  
stis fotografies mas koito  
toso kourastikes na fugeis viastikas  
ta thlimenna ta matakia sou  
san duo sunnefa ston ourano  
pou na pigainoune, pou taksideuoune_

"After I sent this in, dozens of companies wanted to sponsor her." Withers chuckled. "They didn't even understand the song." Hotch turned to Emily and was shocked to see tears brimming on the edge of his agent's eyes.

"Emily," he placed a hand on her shoulder. "You know what it means?" She nodded and cleared her throat.

"It's Greek." She informed her boss and left it at that. Hotch decided to ask her for a translation later.

"Yea, the Ryans enrolled both Leila and Henry in an extra school to learn Greek. Leila was really good at it." Withers explained. That explained the house in the Mediterranean.

"We're going to need all the videos you have." Hotch said, still not removing his hand from Prentiss' shoulder. The woman was still shaking slightly.

"I'll send them over as soon as I can." Withers replied. Hotch and Emily turned to leave. "Agents," Withers called. They turned. "Bring her back. Please." Hotch nodded and said,

"We'll do our best Mr. Withers." Before the two agents let the door close behind them, they heard Withers replay the videos of Leila. Then they heard something completely unexpected; the man started to cry.

* * *

Just an FYI, I'm well aware that Emily doesn't speak Greek but I wanted to instill my nationality in there:P hope you don't mind. The songs are Brand New Day by Fireflight & Eleni by Anna Vissi (it makes me cry). Thanks for reading & pleaseeee leave a review... or four;)


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter IX Why?**

Morgan and JJ arrived at the station before Emily and Hotch. The two made their way towards where Rossi and Reid were sitting, files opened, the white board completely filled.

"What'd you guys find?" Rossi asked the arriving agents. JJ sat down, her hand still feverishly toying with her necklace. Rossi glanced at Morgan who simply shook his head.

"Not much. Leila's extremely private. Her room has the personality of a doorknob." Morgan sat down next to the blonde liaison. "The only thing we learned was that she turned to drinking after her family died."

"That's strange." Rossi frowned. "Her problems began because of alcohol, why would she use it to get rid of them?" Morgan shrugged.

"22 percent of minors under the age of eighteen turn to alcohol because of divorces, deaths, depression-"

"Not helping." JJ interrupted the genius. Reid turned to look at his friend. She was paler than usual and he didn't remember seeing her eat anything in over twelve hours.

"JJ, are you feeling alright?" he asked her. She stood up.

"I'm fine Reid." JJ made her way to the white board Rossi and Reid had worked on. "You guys talked to the neighbors?" Rossi nodded.

"They all said the same thing: the Ryans were the perfect family. After they died, Leila spiraled. She rarely left the house, when she did it was never by car, she ignored visitors no matter who they were and she started skipping school." Rossi sighed. "She was just getting back to normal. This was the first week she started running again. It took her six months to leave the house and when she does this."

"She'll never be normal." JJ sighed. The three men nodded in agreement. JJ turned and saw Hotch and Emily returning from the studio. Maybe they had learned something useful. Hotch opened the door and led Emily inside. She tossed her bag and coat on a chair and left without a word.

"What's that about?" Rossi asked Hotch.

"I honestly have no idea. She hasn't said a word since we left." Hotch turned to JJ. "Would you-"

"No problem." JJ made her way to the restroom she had seen Emily enter. As she approached the door, JJ peeked inside and saw Emily splashing water on her face. "Em?" JJ stepped inside.

"I'm fine, I'll be out in a second." Emily said. JJ took a step closer to her friend and saw the red rims that surrounded her eyes.

"What happened?" the blonde placed her hand on the older woman's shoulder. Emily released a shaky breath.

"I don't know." She admitted. "We were there and Hotch was talking to the studio manager. He played a video of Leila. God, Jay you should hear her voice." Emily managed a smile. "The song, it was in Greek and no one understood it."

"Except you." JJ finished. Emily nodded and felt another wave of tears advancing.

"She wrote it after they died and it was so…it was so sad JJ." Emily mumbled.

"What did it say, Em?" JJ pressed. The shaking woman took a moment to gather her thoughts.

"It was talking about the pale face of a child in a hospital bed. How their destiny on this earth was sealed and that she hopes they can hear the song she wrote for them. How they suffered and waited. How their eyes just sort of glazed over as they…as they died." Emily couldn't hold back the sob that escaped her lips as JJ embraced her friend. The blonde held her tightly against her chest as Emily cried into her shoulder. A few tears managed to escape JJ's eyes as well and by the time the two had finished, they looked just as bad as they felt. Staring at each other, the two women chuckled and got to work on fixing their appearances.

"We're going to find her Emily." JJ said as she reapplied the mascara that had run down her cheeks.

"I'm not that worried about _finding _her JJ." Emily said. "I'm more worried about _helping _her." JJ turned to look at her friend.

"I know. We're going to help her. We have to." JJ hugged the brunette one last time before they heard a knock on the door.

"Everything okay in there?" Morgan's voice echoed against the marble walls.

"Coming." JJ and Emily called. JJ squeezed Emily's shoulder as they left to join their team.

"We spoke to Leila's coach, he should be here soon." Rossi announced as the two women reentered the conference room and took their seats.

"How often would Leila see him?" Morgan asked.

"Leila had practice every weekday with her team from 5-7. Afterwards, she would spend an extra two hours with Coach Gray for private lessons." Reid replied. Eyebrows shot up.

"Private lessons?" Emily asked. "Isn't that a little…"

"Sketchy?" JJ finished for her. Reid shrugged.

"No one else would have been in the area at the time. The pool closes at 8 so technically, the two would have had an hour to themselves daily."

"Anyone else get the feeling that he's not just a regular coach?" Morgan asked, his own experience with men like Gray adding venom to his words.

"Let's not jump to conclusions." Rossi said. "For all we know, he's just a regular guy who helped Leila get a scholarship." Hotch nodded as the younger agents seemed more skeptical.

"About that," Emily spoke up. "What's the point? I mean the Ryans were beyond loaded. Why get a scholarship when they could have easily paid for both children's educations?"

"Maybe they were broke?" Morgan suggested.

"Or maybe Leila felt the need to overcompensate." Reid added. The team looked at him, confused. "She's adopted and she knows it. Despite the Ryan's financial situation, it doesn't change the fact that she feels like burden. 85 percent of adopted children end up winning grants, scholarships, anything to help their foster parents raise them. The same goes with Leila's grades and singing career."

"She does all these things to make sure they keep her?" Emily asked.

"The threat of being sent back to the foster care system is constantly hanging over her head." JJ said. "Maybe if she relieves certain worries from her parent's minds she believes they won't send her back."

"But these people had her since she was six years old." Morgan pressed. "That's 12 years. Why would they send her back when she's on the verge of leaving them for college anyway? Besides, nothing in their history points to the Ryans not wanting her anymore."

"Reason and logic don't apply to her, Morgan." JJ insisted. "She was already abandoned once, by the people who were supposed to be there for her no matter what. As far as Leila is concerned, although the Ryans raised and loved her for 12 years, why would strangers want to keep her when her own parents gave her up?"

"I'm sure Henry's birth didn't help either." Emily added.

"It's true actually. One third of foster children end up being sent back after the parents have a child of their own." Reid said.

"Either way, Leila did a fantastic job of caring for herself. She's basically set for life and not just because of the money she's inherited." Hotch said.

"Until now." Morgan mumbled.

"The studio manager told us Leila had trouble with alcohol after her family died." Emily told the group.

"Yea, we found the bar at the house." JJ added. "There were about, what- sixty bottles? More than half were completely empty."

"But she had just started to pick herself up again." Rossi insisted. "Maybe that's what attracted our unsub? The battle she fought to put her life together again." The other agents contemplated this.

"Well we know she wasn't taken for money but other than that, we're in the dark." Hotch admitted.

"He had to have been watching her though." Morgan said. "To know when to go in and wait for her."

"Definitely." Rossi agreed. "But why?" A deafening silence took over the room until a knock erupted. Detective Knox was at the door, a stoned expression on his face.

"There's something here for you." He addressed the agents. One by one, they made their way to the bullpen where an envelope waited for them. The front said 'FBI' in black letters. Hotch pulled on a pair of gloves and opened it. Inside was a note and a pile of photographs. At first it was all pictures of Leila and her family; at the park, on a date, shopping, at practice. As Hotch scanned through the pictures, the last few caught his attention. It was them. The entire team; Morgan driving home from the gym, Rossi cooking in his kitchen, Emily in the Bureau parking lot, Hotch picking up Jack from school, JJ reading to Henry on a park bench, Reid drinking coffee at a café. He passed the photos around and exchanged looks with his team. This wasn't about Leila. It was about them.

"Prepare yourselves Agents. The show is about to begin." Hotch read the note aloud.

"What the hell does that mean?" Morgan said.

"It means Penelope's about to receive a very disturbing e-mail." Rossi stated matter-of-factly.

"You think he's been recording us?" Reid asked.

"Not us." Emily said. "Leila."

* * *

Dun dun dun!


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter X Lights, Camera, Action!**

"Are you saying that this guy abducted Leila to get _you _here?" Knox's voice echoed in the silence of the precinct.

"He did demand the BAU's presence didn't he?" Emily asked the detective.

"But why?" Knox asked, mostly to himself.

"That's what we're here to find out." Rossi replied.

"We're obviously missing something major. His stressor, his motive but more importantly, we're missing the connection between the two." Morgan stated.

"You think this is someone Leila knows personally?" Knox asked the agents.

"Most likely." Emily said.

"Eighty-four percent of abductees are taken by people they see on a daily basis. It's easier to take someone when you've had their daily routine embedded in your mind." Reid informed everyone.

"You make it sound like he's obsessed with her or something." Knox cringed.

"Maybe not obsessed with _her_," Hotch rose from his chair. "But with someone she represents. The truth is we won't know what he's leaning towards until the video feed comes in."

"What are we supposed to do in the meantime?" Knox asked.

"We wait." JJ mumbled. An uneasy silence befell the group as they each pondered what Leila Ryan would awake to.

"Agents." A voice called the seven to Knox's partner. "There's a video feed from a Penelope Garcia set up in the conference room. She says it's urgent." Each agent knew what they were about to witness and tried their best to ready themselves as they reentered the conference room. Garcia's ever bright office appeared on the flat screen but the technical analyst's demeanor was anything but pleasant.

"Crime fighters can one of you please explain to me as to why I just received an anonymous video feed that frankly, I am too terrified to open." She demanded.

"Garcia, it's our unsub." Hotch informed the tech. "He's sending us a recording of Leila."

"What kind of recording?" Garcia almost whispered. Ever since Reid's abduction by Tobias Henkel, the BAU grew anxious around cases and video cameras. The two should simply never mix.

"There's only way to find out." Morgan urged her. "Open it Baby Girl." Garcia squirmed in her seat and seemed to flinch away from her computer screen as the agents and Detective Knox saw the cursor move toward the play button. The sight that greeted the group of eight was unfortunately not surprising to anyone but Garcia. Her gasp was audible throughout the room while the rest did their best to refrain from reacting. They weren't sure if the unsub had eyes on them like they did him. The screen revealed a dirty, underground bunker of sorts with a single occupant. A figure dressed in red sweats and a skin-tight black Under Armor long sleeve lay on the ground. Raven colored hair hid the girl's face but there was no doubt in the team's minds: this was Leila Ryan. Her hands were bound behind her back and there was a wet spot on her head, probably from the fall down her stairs. Leila showed no sign of regaining consciousness soon.

"Garcia." Rossi whispered in case the unsub was listening.

"Already on it." She replied, furiously typing away at breathtaking speed. Suddenly, the door in the back of the room opened and a man walked in wearing a ski mask. Despite the attempt to hide his persona, the grin underneath was clearly noticeable. Every agent in the room felt their blood boil at the sight of their unsub. The man stepped over Leila's unconscious body and adjusted the video stand so that only his face and Leila's legs were visible in the frame. His steel grey eyes twinkled as he addressed the team.

"Welcome!" the man's voice was deep and throaty. He spread his arms as if he was inviting them into his home as honored guests. Hotch and Rossi exchanged a glance. Could he see them? The older agents flashed their gazes towards the technical analyst as she tried to pinpoint the feed's location. "Yes, Agents Rossi and Hotchner, I can see you." He chuckled at their obvious surprise. There wasn't even a camera in the room, how was a two-way feed even possible?

"I assume you can also hear us as well." Hotch stated.

"Loud and clear. It's so nice to see you all again." The man was clearly trying to frighten them; something not easily accomplished.

"I seem to be at a disadvantage." Hotch began.

"You are at many disadvantages dear Agent." The man stated.

"You know my name but I do not know yours." Hotch continued and narrowed his eyes as the man began to chuckle again.

"I know more than names." He growled. "Doctor Reid, how is rehabilitation suiting you? David, my condolences for your ex-wife's suicide, what a shame. Aaron, congratulations on catching Foyet, he was after all the epitome of everything evil. The lovely Emily Prentiss," The man inhaled deeply. "I assume you're still in the process of licking your battle wounds? Derek, how's the family in Chi-town? No more gang related issues, I presume? Jennifer, how old is Henry now, five? Looks just like his beautiful momma doesn't he?" He let the information sink in as each agent silently struggled to keep a straight face. Reid had finished rehab months ago, Dave's ex and Foyet had long been buried, the Doyle situation had been resolved almost three years ago and Derek's gang problems had ended before he even joined the BAU. JJ didn't have any closely guarded secrets that he could have exploited so instead he used the only thing he had to rattle her: her son. Clearly, the man had done his homework.

"Since you know so much about us, why don't you tell us a little something about yourself?" Rossi tried.

"That's not how this is going to work Dave." The man in the mask said.

"How what is going to work?" Morgan chimed in and received only a grin in return. By now, everyone in the room had noticed Leila's slight movements in the background. Her legs began to twitch and they had no doubt that she would awaken to a nightmare come to life. The unsub had left the only exit to the room wide open. Maybe if they stalled him, Leila would be able to sneak out while he was consumed with the BAU.

"Why don't you tell us what you're looking for?" Emily asked, making sure to clear the venom that threatened to drip from her voice. "Maybe we can help."

"Oh Emily. There's no need to pretend you can stand me. Feel free to express yourselves in whatever way you desire. It's not like you can change the outcome. And about helping me get what I desire…you will." Annoyed that her attempt to befriend the sociopath had failed, Emily let someone else take the reins.

"You want us to express ourselves?" Hotch's voice boomed. "Then listen and listen well since I'll only be saying this once. Tell us where Leila is and I'll consider not shooting you on sight." The Unit Chief's eyes darkened as he approached the television.

"Now, Aaron." The unusub stepped closer to the frame, cutting off the team's view of Leila. "Is that how you ask for things? By threatening people? Tsk tsk, I see why Hailey left you."

"My wife left me because I make it my personal mission in life to put people like you behind bars and you can guarantee I'll be doing it again and soon." Hotch spat back. The man chuckled again.

"You can tell Penelope to stop tracing this feed. She'll be rerouted to a 4x4 village outside of Shang-Hai." Simultaneously, everyone turned to look at the tech who nodded and slumped in her chair, defeated. "Told you."

"Why don't you just tell us what you want so we can get this over with?" JJ said. Even though she wasn't really a profiler, she could still notice the signs of narcissism and know that inflating his ego would only enrage his desire. The only problem was figuring out exactly what that desire was.

"Somebody's anxious." Another smile. "Tell me, how far are you willing to go to save her?" The man's question seemed to be directed to JJ specifically.

"As far as I have to and if that includes shooting you between the eyes, well then..." JJ responded immediately and shrugged, her once bright blue eyes now clouded.

"You know I've always had a thing for blondes, JJ." The unsub said after a few seconds, his face dead calm. JJ tried her hardest not to glance at Leila who seemed to have finally jarred awake.

"My friends call me JJ. You call me Agent Jareau." Another chuckle emitted the man's lips.

"But Jen, don't you remember? We are friends."

* * *

We've got a level 10 creeper, I repeat a level 10.


	11. Chapter 11

Thought I'd give you guys some of Leila's POV before bed. Hope you're enjoying the story so far!

* * *

**Chapter XI Madness**

Why was there water in her ear? She didn't remember going to practice today. It sloshed around muting the noises around her. Leila lifted her hand and held it in front of her. Why was it so blurry? She placed it on the side of her head, where the water was coming from, and indeed felt something wet. But it wasn't water. She started at her red-soaked hand as her mind panicked. Slowly, Leila remembered some of the events that had led to her being in this basement. She wished the noises would stop, they were hurting her head. Leila was silently grateful that the room's lighting was so pour or she was sure she wouldn't be able to see; the slight lighting that emitted from the bulb already worsened her headache. Someone was laughing. What could possibly be funny about this? Leila held a hand out to steady herself as she tried to get her eyes to adjust to the room. Slowly, a figure came into focus. Jeans, black sweatshirt, a mask over his face. His back was to her and he was talking to someone. Leila scanned the room again and her heart caught in her throat when she saw the wide open door leading to a hallway and a flight of stairs: her way out; her _only _way out and her only chance to escape. Slowly, silently, Leila forced herself into a sitting position. The blood in her ear still muffled the voices on the other side of the screen. She knew they could see her but she still couldn't make out their features on the small laptop. It doesn't matter who they are, she thought. Just get out of here! As she turned to run away, something shiny caught her gaze. Leila moved to see a gun strapped to her kidnapper's hip and she felt her chances of escape diminish. As long as he had that she could never run fast enough. What if I had it? She thought to herself. Ignoring all thoughts that screamed she would never be able to use it on anyone, even her abductor, Leila took a step towards him. Thankfully, the people on the other side of the screen hadn't reacted to her presence and continued to distract the man. As she approached the screen, Leila started to make out the features of the group. There were seven people in a room, all with guns and badges. Oh thank god, she breathed a sigh of relief. Although their presence comforted her, Leila knew that there wasn't much they could do from the other side of cyberspace. She had to save herself. The man jerked suddenly, causing Leila to flinch away. The gun was more visible now and she extended her arm, praying to whoever was listening. Her fingers wrapped around the cold metal of the hilt and she slowly started to pull it out of its holster. Just as she thought she had it, the man turned abruptly and Leila was met with a pair of cold grey eyes. Without thinking, she bolted towards the door. Years of athleticism gave her a spark of hope. Before she felt a hand grab her by the hair, she heard one of the group yell 'Run Leila!' As the man's grip tightened in her raven hair, her right foot touched the base of the stairs but she knew it was already too late. She had been too slow and now he had her; permanently. He yanked back, emitting a yelp of pain from her as she flew backwards. Leila felt her back slam to the cold ground and she struggled to draw a breath. The man's grip on her hair didn't loosen as he dragged her back to the cell. She clawed at his hands and kicked out hoping to land a useful blow. Leila could have sworn she heard the man growl before lifting her up to face him. His hands were bloodied by her nails and he was clearly pissed off. Her blue eyes caught his grey as she stared defiantly into them. Before she knew it, she was on the floor clutching her jaw. He had backhanded her and blood dripped from her cracked lip. She scurried to get up, to fight the bastard, but a boot caught in the ribs and she toppled over, once again finding it hard to breath. She turned over, glancing at the seven pairs of eyes, some wet with tears. Five men, two women, some badges and guns differed from others. Leila quickly took in as much as she could of her saviors. Two dark haired older men, looking beyond pissed, a man that looked closer to Leila's age than his colleagues', a bald dark-skinned man with muscles practically coming out of his shirt, a blonde man standing in the background who seemed to prefer to stare at the back of his co-workers heads than her, a dark-haired woman whose eyes burned with anger, and a blonde woman who was half out of her seat. These would be her saviors.

"Say goodbye to the BAU Leila." The man crouched and stroked her hair. She flinched away, disgusted at the contact. Leila refused to look away from the faces on the screen as she saw the man stand and walk towards the laptop.

"No, wait." One of the older men said before the video feed was cut off and she was left completely alone with a madman.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter XII Family Arguments **

_"No, wait."_ Hotch practically begged the masked man before the screen turned to snow. No one said a word for a full two minutes as each agent and detective Knox tried to wrap their minds around what they had seen.

"What now?" Everyone turned to the youngest in the room. Reid passed a hand through his hair as he awaited the answer he would never get. Morgan was staring at the screen Garcia was on, tears flowing freely down her face. The agents envied her ability to cry so freely. There was no mistaking the wetness in Emily's eyes as she did her best to hold herself together. JJ had her eyes closed as if she was trying to erase the images of the teenager being beaten. Hotch had sat heavily in an armed chair, staring at the vacant screen and Rossi began to pace trying to think. The team barely noticed Knox crossing the room and placing a hand on Emily's shoulder. She ignored the gesture. A knock at the door startled the group. A uniformed officer announced that Leila's coach had arrived.

"Morgan, JJ." Hotch said and the two agents quickly exited the room.

"What do you want us to do?" Emily asked her boss. "We can't just sit here and wait for another one of those."

"I want the three of you to go back and check over Leila's neighbors, teachers, previous coaches, and especially her studio manager." Hotch ordered. "I want to know what she had for breakfast last week, understand?" The three agents nodded. "I'll be back. I have to make a call." Hotch left the team to their work as he flipped open his phone and scrolled through his contact list to the J section. After four rings the man on the other side picked up.

"Hey, Agent Hotchner." Jeremy Parrilla said.

"Hey Jeremy." Hotch answered. "Listen, I know I said we'd be ready to go back soon but I don't think that's the case anymore."

"Is everything okay?" the pilot asked, concerned.

"We've got a bad one." Hotch told the jet's pilot. "I'll call you as soon as I know when we'll need you to pick us up."

"No problem Hotch. Good luck."

"Thanks Jeremy." Hotch hung up, sighed, and made his way to help the three agents in the conference room.

"How do you want to play this?" JJ asked the dark-skinned profiler as they watched Coach Mark Gray pace in the interrogation room.

"His record says he's got an assault and battery charge against his ex wife about five years ago." Morgan showed JJ the hospital pictures of a beaten blonde woman. JJ flinched internally at the sight and understood what Morgan meant. She nodded and followed him as he entered the room. Gray's gaze immediately met hers and she could have sworn she saw them sparkle for a moment.

"Why am I here?" he directed his question to Morgan.

"Sit down." JJ demanded as she remained standing. Her heels allowed her to tower over the man by several inches. Morgan sat in one of the metal chairs and waited. The coach's deep green eyes met JJ's hard blue as she waited for him to comply. Once he did, the blonde opened the files she had been carrying and showered them on the table in front of him.

"Ever been here?" she asked the man.

"Yea, what's it to you?" he countered. JJ raised an eyebrow and waited. "It's one of my swimmer's houses. Leila."

"Why were you there?" she asked.

"Her family invited me over for dinner one night. To thank me." He smiled, revealing crooked teeth.

"Thank you for what?"

"Well, I did basically get the girl a full scholarship to one of the country's best schools." JJ scoffed.

"No, I think she earned that on her own and would have gotten it with or without you." JJ uncovered more photos, the ones taken after Leila was taken. Blood covered the staircase railing and platform, soaking into the carpet there.

"What the hell?" Gray grabbed at the photos and brought them close to his face. "What happened?"

"Why don't you tell me, Mr. Gray?" JJ set the file down.

"Are you shitting me woman?!" Gray's eyes flashed as he rose. "You think I had something to do with this?!"

"I suggest you sit back down, Mr. Gray." JJ warned.

"You tell me what happened to her right now!" Gray shouted at her, taking a step closer. Morgan was out of his seat in a second, taking a protective step closer to JJ.

"Or what?" she asked. "You'll hit me like you hit your wife?" Gray's jaw clenched. "Easily angered, short temper, violent nature; your making my job a little too easy Gray."

"The bitch hit me first." He insisted. JJ laughed without humor.

"Right, all 110 pounds of her. I'm sure she did a lot of damage." JJ rolled her eyes at the man. He raised his hand and pointed at her menacingly.

"Now you listen-" Gray was cut off as JJ grabbed his outstretched arm, twisted it behind his back and slammed him against a wall. Derek didn't move to stop her.

"No you listen." She growled in his ear. "I am not in the mood to deal with your lies, you waste of space do you understand me?" Gray nodded. "Tell me where she is or I'll break your arm." JJ's grip tightened to prove her point. Gray whimpered and shook his head.

"I don't know, I didn't do anything!" he cried out. JJ increased the pressure on his arm until it threatened to break. "I swear! Please let go!" After a moment, she did. Gray turned to face her, cradling his injured arm. "You crazy bitch! I'll have your badge!" JJ turned to leave the room. As she opened the door and let Morgan out first, she heard footsteps approaching her from behind. She turned and was met with Gray's fist to her jaw. She felt Morgan try to get past her to get to the man but she was faster. She lashed out, grabbing his already injured arm and snapping it. Gray cried out in pain and JJ whirled around, letting her fist meet his face in return. He crumpled to the ground, clutching his jaw. JJ felt Morgan's arm on her shoulder easing her out of the room. Once the door was closed, JJ could see the rest of the team practically sprinting towards them having heard the screams.

"What happened?" Hotch demanded at seeing JJ's bloodied lip.

"He came at her as we were leaving." Morgan answered before JJ could. She noticed how he failed to notice how she antagonized and hurt him first.

"Are you alright?" Hotch turned to her.

"I'm fine." She said coolly. "You should get someone to check on him. I think I broke his arm."

"Atta girl." they heard Rossi mutter. Chuckles left the team's lips for the first time in hours.

"He's not our guy, Hotch." JJ stated causing everyone, including Morgan to stare at her.

"There's no way to know that JJ. He arrived minutes after the feed ended. For all we know, it was him." Emily said.

"Actually, Coach Gray lives on the other side of town. It would take him approximately fifteen to eighteen minutes to drive here and if you calculate the time of day and traffic-"

"He begged me to let go." JJ interrupted Reid's rant once again forcing all eyes on her. "Leila not only fought back, but she drew blood. The man in the video barely reacted to the pain and Gray doesn't have any nail marks on his hands."

"She's right." Morgan said. "I can't believe I didn't notice that too." He mentally smacked himself in the face. Maybe then JJ wouldn't have gotten hurt.

"You were more focused on other things." JJ reassured him, hinting at the fact that he was too concerned with Gray reacting to JJ's treatment of him.

"So that means we're down to zero suspects?" Emily asked.

"What about the studio manager?" Morgan turned to Hotch. "Didn't you get a weird vibe off him?"

"Yes, but a vibe isn't evidence. Besides, his alibi panned out." Hotch said, mildly disappointed.

"We did find something interesting though." Rossi pointed out as the group reached the conference room. He leaned over the table and handed a file to Morgan. Knox showed up with a bag of ice and handed it to JJ.

"Do you always get so physical?" he joked and she chuckled as she placed the bag over her already swollen lip.

"The principle?" Morgan looked up from the file. Emily, Reid, Rossi, and Hotch nodded. JJ eased in closer to get a look at the file. Mitchell Roberts, age 45, recently divorced, father of two, principle of William Garrison High School for the past six years. Morgan turned the page and both sets of eyes widened. A police report filed by none other than the former Mrs. Roberts stating that the reason for the divorce was that Mitchell's behavior towards his daughter had turned 'inappropriate'. He was never tried, never even arrested, but allegations of sexual abuse arose. It's a miracle the man managed to keep his job."

"I talked to the guidance councilor. Thankfully, she was the only member of the school staff that isn't away on vacation. Well her and Rodgers." Emily pointed to the file in her partner's hands. "She told me how Leila had been called into Roberts' office multiple times after the death of her family. She never suspected anything beyond the ordinary but did tell me that he had a growing 'fascination' with students who were spiraling but took a special interest in Leila."

"Why is that?" JJ asked.

"It might have to do with the fact that Rodgers also lost his family at a young age. His mother, father, and younger sister were killed in a flash flood when he was fifteen." Reid informed the blonde.

"So he's comforting a troubled teenager. Why exactly does that put him on our radar?" Morgan asked, skeptical of the whole situation.

"He has a history of abusing young girls, Morgan." Hotch stated matter-of-factly.

"_Alleged _history." Morgan inserted. "His daughter never said a word against him and even cried when they told her she couldn't see her father anymore."

"Morgan's right, Hotch. Being accused of a crime doesn't automatically make you guilty." JJ said.

"I know that but don't you think it's a little suspicious that these allegations turn up and then a student of his goes missing?" Hotch countered.

"Hotch, if we accuse him or even bring him in for questioning, the entire community is going to think he did it. Again." JJ pushed.

"Well maybe that's not such a bad idea." Hotch shot back.

"Ruining a man's life simply because _you _think he's guilty is most definitely a bad idea." JJ took a step closer to the tall agent.

"I'm not the only one who believes it's him." Hotch's voice rose suddenly.

"And a few hours ago you _believed _that Alexander Withers was our unsub. Should we arrest him as well?" JJ crossed her arms as the remaining agent's gazes traveled like ping-pong balls. Before anyone could say anything to calm the two down, Hotch opened the door and left. All eyes fell on the blonde liaison as she exhaled deeply. Rossi went to see where Hotch had stormed off to leaving the youngest three agents together.

"The kids don't like it when mom and dad fight." Emily said after a few moments. JJ whirled around and was faced with big brown eyes.

"We're all just a bit too tired and a bit too jetlagged." Morgan said softly. "I'm sure this will all blow over in the morning. Why don't we head to the hotel and see if we can get some decent sleep?" JJ and Emily shot him a look, both with mouths open ready to reprimand him for even suggesting leaving the station. "I know we want to stay here and help but let's be honest; we're not helping Leila if we're at each other's throats." Reid nodded in the background. JJ felt Emily put a hand on her shoulder and when she looked at her friend she knew she was outnumbered.

"Fine." JJ mumbled as she gathered her belongings. The four exited the conference room only to be stopped by Detective Knox.

"We get something?" he asked excitedly.

"Unfortunately no." Morgan responded. "We're headed to our hotel. It's been over-"

"Wait, what?" Knox interrupted. "You're leaving?"

"We'll be back in a few hours." Reid reassured him but the Detective didn't seem too pleased.

"We called you guys in here to help her and you're going to take a nap?" Knox snapped.

"As Agent Morgan was trying to say before you interrupted him was that all of us have gone over 48 hours without sleep. At this rate, we won't be of any help to anyone, especially Leila." Emily took a step forward, trying to get Knox to let them leave. She would never admit it but she was ready to drop to the floor of the precinct and use it as a mattress. At seeing Emily, Knox backed down.

"Right, sorry." The detective dropped his head. "Do you need a ride there?" he offered.

"Thank you but we were given government vehicles." Emily said. As they turned to leave, Knox reached out for Emily's hand. She turned to him quickly.

"Listen, about that, I'm sorry. I don't usually blow up like that." His emerald eyes held onto her chocolate-colored ones and he refused to let go of her hand.

"It's fine. This job, it gets to everyone at some point." She tried to look away from his gaze but found that she didn't want to.

"Even you Agent Prentiss?" he asked softly.

"Especially me." She chuckled surprised at the use of her last name. An hour ago the man was openly flirting with her and now regarded her with the respect of using her title.

"Maybe you could tell me about it sometime?" Knox tried his luck. "Over coffee?" Emily wanted to accept but knew it was highly irrational. And she was a very rational woman.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea." She admitted. "We're only here until the case is over then…" Emily watched his eyes lose their shine for a moment.

"Of course. You're right." He let go of her hand. "I'll let you get back to your team. Goodnight Agent." Knox turned to return to his desk.

"It's Emily." She called out. He turned and met her with a surprised look. "My name, it's Emily." He smiled, once again revealing perfect teeth.

"Goodnight Emily."

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I never realized how long this chapter was, hahaa. REVIEW PLEASE!


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay, this is were the format gets ugly. My laptop had shut down one day and apparently, forgot to Auto Save. Everything I had written that day and the previous day had been erased but I send each chapter to a Facebook friend for review. I went to the messages and alas, there it was! So I copied and pasted all those chapters from FB to Microsoft Word and this happened. I've tried everything, literally everything, to make it the way it was before but I can't seem to find a way. I'm really sorry if you have trouble reading it, just know that I have trouble writing it when it looks like this. OCD problems. **

**Chapter XIII Unraveled**

"Well he's cute." JJ managed a grin as the two agents entered their shared hotel room. JJ was silently thankful that the hotel had managed to give them two beds this time; Emily kicks in her sleep.  
"Hm?" she heard the brunette mumbled. JJ's grin widened.  
"Oh please, Em." She threw her go-bag on the closest bed to the window (she knew Emily preferred to sleep near the door) and threw her friend a discerning look. "You know he is."  
"Who?" Emily asked without looking up from her bag. JJ rolled her eyes.  
"Rossi, Em." JJ chuckled at the look Emily threw at her. "Knox, that's who! He's been drooling all over you since we got here."  
"If I recall correctly, he was drooling over you first." Emily countered.  
"Oh, so you do recall?" JJ chuckled at the red tint that took over Emily's pale features. "Besides, I'm a married woman now."  
"Yea, how's that going?" Emily shot a glance at the ring on the blonde's finger.  
"Do not try to change the subject." JJ pointed at her. "Why don't you just go for it?"  
"Go for what?"  
"I don't know, Emily, jump his bones perhaps?" JJ's crude comment left Emily spitting out the water she had been sipping. "Don't even pretend that you couldn't make it work. I've seen you handle relationships from different hemispheres."  
"Long distance was never really my thing Jay."  
"You do know that when Will and I were dating I would fly to New Orleans almost every weekend right?" Emily's face suggested otherwise. "And now look. We're married with a five year old and I couldn't be happier." The look on JJ's face brightened Emily's day. It was nice to see someone so happy and in love, especially with a job like this.  
"And I'm really happy for you, Jay, I really am." Emily squeezed her friend's shoulders. "But-"  
"You're just not willing to trust anyone." JJ finished for her. "Do you remember the last time you didn't trust some who cared about you? Or in that case, six someones." Emily nodded. "I'm not telling you to marry the guy. Just give it a chance. You never know, right?" JJ flashed her a smile.  
"You never know." Emily repeated. "Right." The only problem was…Emily hated not knowing.  
Ten minutes later the women were fast asleep in their beds, the past three days having taken a serious toll on them. Reid and Morgan had passed out within five minutes of arriving at their room. Hotch and Rossi arrived a half hour later only to be greeted by a bellboy.  
"Are you guys Aaron and Dave?" the youth asked them. Exchanging a glance, the two nodded. The bellboy handed them a package and the first thing the agents noticed was that the writing was identical to the one they'd seen on the envelope delivered to the station.  
"Should we wake them up?" Rossi asked. The four younger members of the team had been asleep for a maximum of twenty minutes after pulling two all-nighters and three plane trips.  
"Let's just see what's inside before we do." Hotch said as he pulled out a pair of leather gloves he had in his pocket. He reminded himself that they needed to get the bellboy's prints to collect viable evidence. Hotch gently opened the envelope and eased out whatever was inside. First came a piece of paper on the exact same stationary as the previous one.  
"'It's only just begun.'" Hotch read aloud.  
"Hotch." Rossi's tone drew his attention as he looked over at the second object in the package. More pictures, except this time they were from a much closer distance and none were of Leila. Timestamp, 2:03 AM August 30, 2012. Location, the Westin Hotel in Jersey City Room number 426. The pictures were of JJ and Emily's room. There were a few of JJ leaning against a bed obviously reprimanding Emily for something. Another of Emily unpacking her go-bag. Three shots each of the women changing. Hotch and Rossi shared a disturbed look at seeing such a personal moment of their co-workers and spontaneously burst into a run towards the elevators.  
Emily was the first to wake up to the pounding on the door. She heard JJ groan and wanted to do the same herself.  
"Prentiss, JJ, wake up!" It was Morgan's voice. Immediately, both women shot out of bed as Emily went to open the door. The second she did, Morgan, Reid, Rossi and Hotch burst into their room.  
"Whoa." JJ announced at the same time as Emily called out,  
"What the hell?" Being woken up in the middle of the night- or morning- and having their room stormed by a group of men who were obviously trigger-happy while they were in shorts and tank tops wasn't really number one on their to-do list. Morgan immediately went out on the balcony, obviously checking for something. Reid checked the bathroom for God knows what and Rossi made sure no one was passing by their room. "Hotch?"  
"Sorry for the intrusion but we have something you need to see." Hotch told the women.  
"And this couldn't wait until morning? I mean when the sun actually comes up?" JJ yawned. The look on her boss' face told her all she needed to know.  
"Hotch, what is it?" Emily eased closer to the man. He held out an envelope to the two who instantly knew what it was.  
"What now?" Emily grumbled as JJ opened the envelope.  
"Em." JJ's tone caught Emily's attention as she turned to the blonde. She was holding a handful of photos; new ones. As Emily scanned through the photos, her cheeks reddened at knowing Hotch and most likely the rest of the team had seen them as well. When she turned back to JJ, she saw that the woman had the same expression on her face. Both of their pale faces had suddenly turned bright red.  
"There's nothing out here Hotch." Morgan called from the balcony. Reid came out of the bathroom and held the door as Rossi came in.  
"What the hell is this?" Emily asked, trying to ignore that fact that her entire team had seen her half naked.  
"We think we know what he wants." Rossi replied.  
"To piss us off, because I guarantee you it's working." JJ growled.  
"No." Hotch answered grimly. "He wants one of you."


	14. Chapter 14

So I've asked a friend to help me with the spacing problem & as you can see, it didn't work out. I don't want to deprive you guys of the story simply because it's close together. I'm sorry if it's aggravating (which I'm sure it is) but I'm out of ideas. IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA PLEASE LET ME KNOW!

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**Chapter XIV Patience is a Virtue**

The little red light hadn't stopped blinking. Leila knew it was coming from the camcorder that had been placed directly in front of her. She hadn't taken her eyes off it since the feed to the police had been cut. Her wrists ached from when the man tightened the wire, her head throbbed and her vision blurred in and out. Leila knew she probably had a concussion so she tried her hardest to stay awake. She didn't think falling into a coma would be beneficial to her situation. Instead she tried to concentrate on the agonizing pain rising from her midsection. Maybe the kick there had broken a rib or two but all Leila knew was that she would do anything to be able to breathe properly. When he disconnected the feed the man simply smiled at her and walked out. She heard him go up the stairs and open the door she had seen at the top. When he reached the upstairs area, the floor creaked and debris fell around her. Clearly, the building was older than she was. Leila managed to sit up and crawl into one of the corners. Ignoring the fact that her feet nearly burned from the cold floor, she concentrated on the pain and the light. Always the light. If it stopped blinking it meant that they could see her again. And she could see them. Leila heard a door slam shut from upstairs and nearly jumped out of her clothes. He was back. The floor creaked, the door opened and footsteps started making their way down the stairs. Finally, the door to her prison opened and in came her abductor. Leila tried to stand, to show that she wasn't afraid of him, but she couldn't even sit straight. The man placed a tray on the ground in front of her. It consisted of a bottle of water and a sandwich. The simple sight of it made Leila's insides hurt. The last time she had eaten was the night before she was taken. What was that; two, three days ago? She couldn't remember and it didn't matter.  
"Eat." He demanded. Leila stayed where she was partially out of defiance but mainly because she couldn't reach out for the tray. He kicked it closer to her but she still refused to take it. "It'll be harder if you don't." He didn't seem to be threatening her. Warning her perhaps?  
"What will?" Leila's voice cracked. The man crouched down and brought his face close to hers. She wanted to bite him when he reached out to stoke her hair again but resisted the urge. Maybe she could befriend him. He gently passed his hand through her raven locks and gazed into her eyes. "Maybe if you tell me what you want I can help." She tried. The man smiled coyly.  
"Oh Leila, don't you understand?" he cocked his head to the side. "You are helping."  
"Just let me go." She practically begged, hating the words the moment they left her lips.  
"I can't do that. You see," he kneeled in front of her. "You're my bargaining chip."  
"What the hell do you want?!" Leila yelled, her anxiety rising with her breath he breathed on her. Immediately she knew she had made a mistake. The gentle look his eyes had a moment ago was replaced by malice. His grip tightened on her hair to a painful level. He yanked her to her feet and dragged her towards the camera. Leila couldn't help but cry out on the way, her nails digging into the flesh of his arm once more.  
"Shut up." He growled when he released her. He strut towards the laptop and sent another email to the FBI's technical analyst. It would only be a matter of minutes before Penelope had everyone in the conference room and ready for Act two. He grinned viciously. He couldn't wait.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter XV Reaching Limits **

"What the hell does that mean; he 'wants one of us'?" Emily demanded. Completely oblivious to the fact that she and JJ were still only half clothed, she glanced around the room of men waiting for an answer.  
"Well?" JJ pushed, clearly just as annoyed as Emily.  
"Why don't we all get changed and meet in the lobby?" Rossi suggested trying to calm the women down. Not that he didn't like seeing such attractive women in pajamas but this was not the right time or the place. Or the right women. As the men started to make their way out of the room, Emily noticed that Derek hadn't moved. She glared at him.  
"What, you going to watch us change too?" she shot at her partner.  
"If it means keeping him away from you, then yes, Emily I am." Morgan crossed his arms. Just as Emily opened her mouth to spew some sarcastic, smart-ass reply, JJ interrupted her friend.  
"We'll just take turns changing in the bathroom Em. It's fine." She insisted.  
"No it is not fine." Emily whipped around to stare at the blonde. "We don't need a babysitter."  
"I'm not babysitting you Prentiss, I'm protecting you." Morgan pressed.  
"From what, another picture? I'm pretty sure he got all he wanted for the moment Derek." Emily returned her glare to the man by the window. Incidentally he'd been blocking the spot where Emily and JJ's pictures had been taken. Clearly he thought the photographer was still there.  
"Listen, we're all exhausted, we're all a bit on edge, so why don't we just take a step back?" JJ stepped in front of Emily, partially blocking the woman's view of Derek. After a second of intense staring, the brunette scoffed and grabbed a handful of clothes on her way to the bathroom. JJ sat on her bed and sighed. They couldn't continue like this. Soon they'd be at each other's throats… literally. She closed her eyes for a moment and took in just how tired she actually was. Her eyes stung every time she blinked and she gave herself approximately two more hours before she started tripping over herself. It's not like she could sleep anyway, she thought. Especially now. God, what the hell does he want?!  
"Jay?" Morgan took a step towards her. JJ realized that her eyes had been shut for a while and her hands went to massage her temples.  
"Hm?" she replied without opening her eyes.  
"You okay?" the dark profiler asked his friend.  
"No, Derek I am not okay." She replied hotly. "Sorry." She said after realized just how bitchy she sounded. Just then the door to the bathroom opened and Emily emerged, still looking just as pissed as when she entered. Without even glancing towards the two, the brunette opened the door and stormed out. JJ sighed heavily and made her way towards the bathroom to change out of her pajamas after sleeping in them for less than ten minutes. This was going to be a long day.  
The six regrouped in the hotel lobby ten minutes later. They each took a seat at a booth in the bar, the only place that was still relatively open. Awkward glances were exchanged as JJ and Hotch and Emily and Morgan seemed content to avoid one another. The bartender called out to them, asking if they wanted anything to drink. Assuming he meant alcohol, they each shook their heads although the thought of drowning their misery seemed to be on everyone's mind. Even Hotch, who they had seen take a sip of champagne only during JJ's wedding a few months back.  
"I know we're tired and I know we're pissed," Hotch began. "But we need to remember that there is an eighteen year old girl counting on us to save her. Without us, she's gone. Now that we know what he wants we can start building our profile."  
"Except that we aren't sure who he wants." Reid reminded him. Unfortunately that portion played a drastic role on the direction their profile took and they all knew it.  
"Have either one of you felt like you've been watched recently?" Rossi asked the women. The two seemed to mull it over and finally shook their heads no. "How about before that? Garcia checked the dates recorded on those pictures and the ones of the two of you were older than ours."  
"How far back did they go?" JJ asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer.  
"Two years." Rossi replied.  
"You're saying a psychopath has been watching both of us for the past two years but only wants one?" Emily asked.  
"He's been planning this since the beginning. He doesn't want us to know who he wants, not yet at least." Morgan said.  
"Which means that Leila's been a part of his plan since the beginning." Hotch stated. "We thought that she was the key to solving this but she isn't. You two are. Or one of you at least."  
"Is it possible he has an obsession with both of them?" Reid asked.  
"Possible, not probable." The expert on obsession-based crimes answered.  
"Why not?" Hotch asked.  
"They're too different." Morgan explained. "JJ was born and raised in a small town in Pennsylvania, Emily lived in ten different countries before she was fifteen. JJ's married with a kid, Emily's single. JJ's parents aren't wealthy or famous, Emily's the daughter of an ambassador. That's without taking into account the physical differences between the two; Blonde, brunette. Blue eyes, brown eyes. Medium height, tall. The only thing they have in common is their job."  
"You know we're sitting right here Derek." Emily shot. Derek, thankfully, ignored the comment.  
"He's right." Rossi confirmed. "It has to be one or the other. Now all we have to do is figure out which one, why, and your connection to Leila before she says the wrong thing and gets herself killed." The group took a collective sigh. The moment of silence was interrupted by Hotch's cell phone. The sound made everyone cringe. Only one person would be calling at 3 AM and it couldn't be good news.  
"What've you got Garcia?" Hotch answered. "No we're all up. Alright." Hotch pressed the 'end' button and turned to face five wide pairs of eyes. "We have to get the station."  
"What's happened?" Emily asked.  
"Garcia just got another email."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter XVI Act Two**

They separated into two vehicles and arrived at the police station within seconds of each other. No one spoke as the six entered the elevator and opened the doors to the precinct. They were all clearly surprised as they saw Detective Knox sitting at his desk. Apparently, he hadn't left for the night. At seeing the agents, Knox shot out of his chair.  
"That was the fastest nap I've ever seen." He commented, scanning one tired face at a time.  
"Something came up." Rossi explained as Hotch handed him the new package. Thankfully, he kept the pictures of the two female agents changing separate from the ones he had given Knox. The two women were silently thankful to their boss.  
"Well that's," Knox searched for the proper word. "Unexpected."  
"It definitely is. Once we figure out who he's… interested in we'll be able to build our profile." Hotch said.  
"Our technical analyst received another email. That's why we came in." Morgan inputted.  
"Damn." Knox muttered as the seven made their way to the conference room. Each took a seat around the table as Hotch called Garcia.  
"We're all here." Hotch stated. Without a word, Garcia opened the attachment and a picture started to form again. It was the same room except now Leila wasn't sprawled on the floor unconscious. She sat with her back against the wall and her knees to her chest. The team could have sworn they saw relief flood her features as she glanced at the screen in front of her. Unfortunately, the man was also in the room so they couldn't speak to the girl alone.  
"I see you received my message, Agents." The man in the mask said.  
"We did." Hotch confirmed.  
"And?" he probed.  
"And I think we'll simply have to add trespassing and stalking to your arrest warrant." Hotch responded causing the man on the video to chuckle.  
"Here's how this is going to work:" he began. "I'm going to make life for Leila here as uncomfortable as possible until you agree to give me what I desire."  
"And what exactly is that?" Hotch asked the man. The team saw his eyes roam over the two women on his screen. Unfortunately he didn't stare at one longer than the other.  
"It's pretty pathetic that you haven't figured it out." He scoffed. "It really isn't that difficult to grasp."  
"Cut the bullshit." Emily stood. "I for one am willing to trade myself for Leila's safe return and I'm sure JJ is as well." JJ stood and joined her friend with a nod. "So why don't you just tell us what you want and let her go?"  
"She hasn't done anything to you." JJ added. "We're the ones you want."  
"Ladies, ladies." The man chuckled causing the women's blood to boil further. "As happy as I am that you are both so willing to join me, I think I'll have a better time watching you run around like headless chickens for a while. You're profilers, I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually. You might even discover who I am on the way." His grey eyes sparkled and Emily couldn't help but think that this man was probably extremely handsome. "As for Leila not having anything to do with this, you couldn't be more wrong. You're so blissfully unaware of what is going on, it's almost poetic." The man strode to where Leila was sitting. She had quietly observed the conversation and grew more confused with each passing minute. He bent down and stoked the teenager's cheek. Leila tried to flinch away from him but he grabbed a handful of her dark hair and started to yank her forward. Leila did her best to hold back a cry.  
"You don't need to hurt her." JJ pleaded.  
"Where's the fun in that?" the masked man replied coolly. He dragged Leila over to a barrel in the center of the room. He forced her stand while still maintaining his painfully tight grip on her hair. Suddenly, he slammed her head into the barrel and the agents realized that it was filled with water. Hands tied behind her back, Leila was unable to struggle out of his grip. Taken by surprise at first, she inhaled and regretted it greatly. Water filled her lungs and burned them. It was ice cold and she knew that only a minute of this could kill her. Being upside down, she was unable to prevent the water from entering her nose. She couldn't help the first cough that overtook her. Or the second. Or the third. More burning cold water slithered down her throat and set her lungs on fire. She tried to push herself out of the barrel but was forced down every time she came close. Just as quickly as she was thrust in, the man yanked her back out. Leila sputtered and coughed as she greedily took in the precious air. She could barely hear the people on the screen threatening her captor as he laughed and shoved her back under again. This time she was more prepared and she took a deep gulp of air milliseconds before she felt the cold hit her again. This was her element, he wouldn't beat her in it. Leila could hold her breath for over two minutes under normal circumstances so she calculated that in this scenario she only had about a one minute. Water rushed up her nose and threatened to make her cough again. Ignoring the natural reflex, Leila stopped struggling against the man's impossibly brute strength and conserved her energy. Physical excursion reduced the amount of time you could hold your breath. After what felt like hours, Leila's lungs started to fail her. She gagged and did her best to hold back the scream that threatened to erupt from her lips. Water entered her mouth and she couldn't stop herself from swallowing it. It burned her insides so much. She didn't even feel it when the man pulled her out by the hair and let her fall backwards onto the cold ground. She couldn't hear herself coughing up the water she had swallowed nor could she hear the audible sighs of relief that left the group's lips as they realized she was still breathing. As Leila threw up the water she could the man start to laugh.  
"Well that was interesting!" He exclaimed. "I think it's time we spice things up a bit though, don't you?" Leila felt his breath on her face and opened her eyes. Gunmetal grey met sapphire blue as she deduced one thing: she was going to die in this room. Her thoughts were suddenly confirmed as she saw what the man drew out of his coat pocket. It was a taser.  
"No, wait!" the brunette on the screen called out. Leila knew what happened when an electric shock was administered on a wet surface. People died. This man didn't seem to care. As he approached her, she couldn't help the whimper that escaped her lips. The buzz coming from the baton terrified her more than anything else in the world ever had. I don't what to die! She thought. Not here, not in this filthy place! Please help me! She didn't dare say these things aloud; she knew it would only please the man. He ignored the pleas that came from the woman on the screen and continued to make his way towards her. Leila stood, not about to take it willingly.  
"Oh, someone's afraid." He cooed and chuckled. "Let's see what you got sweetheart." Leila surprised him by kicking his right knee. The man stumbled and growled under his breath. She shot towards the door, her only method of escape, and almost fell to the floor when she realized it was locked. Turning around, she noticed that the key was around his neck. Fuck! Leila readied herself as he approached, eyes gleaming with joy. He lunged at her and she sidestepped him, narrowly avoiding the buzzing baton. She didn't even want to think about the voltage on that thing. He spun around and circled around her like a lion stalking its prey. The movement unsettled her even more. He lunged again and this time, she was too slow. Leila let out of gasp as he collided with her damaged ribcage. They fell to the floor, the man landing on top of her. Fortunately, he couldn't shock her in this position. She reached out and punched him right in the jaw. Hearing a crack, Leila guessed that she had broken it. The man roared angrily, taking away the momentary feeling of satisfaction Leila had. She had only angered him. He swung blindly at her, catching her on the left side of torso. She cried out as she toppled over holding her side. A boot caught her in the back, disabling her immediately.  
"You stupid little bitch." The man snarled at her. "You'll pay for that." He removed his foot and the next thing Leila knew, 100 volts of electricity were coursing through her body. The scream that left her lips was inhuman, causing the officers on the screen to cringe. The edge of her vision blurred and every part of her body felt like it had caught fire. Leila wasn't sure how long he had held the baton to her but to her, it felt like years. She knew she would never physically be the same after the abuse she endured in this room. That is, if she ever made it out of the room to begin with. The electricity stopped abruptly but Leila couldn't stop her body from twitching. She closed her eyes and tried to make her body obey her again. As she tried to take in a breath, the felt the baton make contact again, this time on her chest. She was sure she screamed again but she couldn't hear it. She knew her eyes were open but she couldn't see, everything had turned blinding white. She didn't feel it when the baton left her body and only knew that it did when she heard what she assumed was the man's voice. She didn't know who he was talking to or what he was saying but she didn't care. Tears streamed down her face freely and she made no effort to stop them. Wet hair clung to her face and obscured what little vision she had of her surroundings. The only hope Leila had left was that this man would just let her die sooner rather than later.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter XVII Tell me the Difference**

"You stupid little bitch! You'll pay for that." They heard the man growl. Before they knew it, piercing screams filled the room and caused both FBI agents and police officers alike to physically cringe. Emily's mouth hung open as if she still had something to say to the man; something that could stop him. JJ tried her best not to plop down on the chair behind her; showing him any sort of reaction could be damaging. Hotch and Rossi shot cold glares at the screen as the man removed the baton from Leila's body. Morgan clenched his fists at the sight of the teenager desperately gasping for air and trying her hardest not to cry. Reid swayed as if he had been struck when the baton was lowered again onto the girl's chest and another blood-curling scream filled their ears. A hand went over JJ and Emily's mouths as they did their best to stifle a gasp. They saw Leila's form involuntarily twitch even after the electricity had left her body. They saw the tears that poured freely down her cheeks and they saw the masked man, if one could call him that at all, place the baton back into his coat pocket. Thankful that it was over but still wary of what else he might do, the team said nothing. When they realized he was looking at them, Emily and JJ removed their hands from their mouths and put on the stone-faced expressions everyone had slipped on.  
"Seems like family's never there when you need 'em eh, Leila?" he nudged the unconscious girl with his foot while still staring at the screen in front of him.  
"You sick son of a bitch." They heard Morgan mumble.  
"What was that Derek?" the masked figure took a step towards the camera.  
"I said 'you sick son of a bitch'!" Morgan shouted fists clenched so hard, the team could have sworn he broke his own skin.  
"Well that isn't very nice Derek." He feigned insulted. "Maybe you'd like me to show you how sick I really am?" He eyed Leila curiously as if deciding what to do to her. At seeing the expressions on the team's face falter, he snickered. "Or maybe I could just tell you what I plan to do to them?" He let his gaze wonder in between JJ and Emily.  
"How about instead we tell you what we plan to do to you?" JJ spat, ignoring the chill that ran down her spine. Hotch placed a hand on JJ's back, telling her to back off.  
"Aaron, I believe it's time to declaw your cat." He chuckled at his own crude joke.  
"If you so much as touch another hair on that girl's head I can personally guarantee that the wrath of this team and every branch of the federal government will make it our life goal to hunt you and put you down like the rabid animal you are." Hotch replied. "Or better yet, I could just let Agents Jareau, Morgan and Prentiss teach you a few things about how we handle people like you."  
"To do that you would need to find me first Agent Hotchner and as of now, I do not believe you're making any headway on that front." The man said coolly.  
"We already told you we're willing to come to you." Emily said. "Why continue this? What's the point?"  
"The point, dear Emily, is to teach you all something called hubris. You see, you and your team travel the country 'helping' people put 'animals' like me away. You think you're doing the world a favor, you think you deserve the praise and thanks you get but in reality, you're only fighting a losing battle. You see, my point is that the monsters always win. Whether they're the ones under your bed or in your head, we always find a way to take over and destroy you from the inside out. I'm sure you know all about having monsters, Emily."  
"Yes, I do. And I killed mine so imagine what I'll do to you." Emily replied.  
"That's exactly my point!" the man cried. "You would willingly hurt me, as would your colleagues. What makes you any better than me?! What gives you the right to tell me that I'm the freak?! What gives you the right to ruin lives and tear families apart with your investigations and your profiles?!" He stumbled, realizing what he had said.  
"We aren't the ones torturing innocent teenagers." Rossi added. "You are."  
"I torture her physically yet you torture others mentally. What exactly is the difference Dave?" He raised his hands in a confused gesture.  
"We're never ruined a family nor do we have to justify our actions to you." Hotch said causing the man to laugh loudly.  
"Have you ever thought of the family's of convicted felons? How your investigations shatter their lives and everything they've ever known? How about Leila's family?" He gestured to the girl. "Didn't think it was important enough to tell them that mommy's little angel is in trouble? Oh wait, you don't know where they are do you? You don't even know who they are!" He chuckled at his own private joke.  
"But you do." Reid inserted.  
"Yes, Doctor Reid. I do. I know everything about every member of your merry band and I also know everything there is to know about her." He nudged Leila with his boot.  
"Why don't you tell us? You clearly know more than we do, even about ourselves, so why don't you just show us how intelligent you are and prove you're right?" Reid urged.  
"Don't try to profile me Spencer. I am clearly not a narcissist so inflating my ego will get you nowhere. I will however, tell you one thing." He eased closer to the screen as if trying to tell them a secret. "Leila's family, they aren't that far away." And with that, he shut off the feed. A few minutes trickled by and no one said a word until Hotch picked up the phone and called Garcia.  
"Yes, my liege?" she picked up immediately.  
"Garcia, I need you to find out who Leila's birth parents are." Hotch said.  
"But sir, it was a closed adoption. They didn't want to-"  
"I know Garcia, but we really need to know. They might be in danger." Hotch urged the tech.  
"Try hospital records on May of 1994 in the tri-state. Every abandoned baby has to be documented." Rossi said.  
"Then check security cameras and see if you can locate the mother and father. Make sure the baby has blue eyes as well." Hotch added.  
"Garcia, they'll most likely be middle to upper class so rule out prostitutes, junkies and the homeless." Reid inputted. The team heard Garcia tapping at her keyboards and then a ping.  
"58 results." Garcia mumbled causing the team to sigh.  
"58 babies were abandoned in three states in one month?" Emily asked, surprised.  
"What now?" Morgan turned to Hotch.  
"Garcia," Hotch's voice boomed as if he had an idea. "Run Leila's blood through the system."  
"Okay?" she replied. Hotch turned to face the confused stares of his team.  
"If her parents are in the system, we'll find a partial match." He explained. "Until then, Morgan, Prentiss, talk to the neighbors again. JJ, I need you to set up a press conference. Reid, help Garcia go through recently released felons with a family member who's been convicted. His slip-up might be our only lead. Rossi and I are going to call back Withers. He has the insight we need into Leila's personal life."  
"What about me?" Knox asked.  
"Can you accompany Agents Morgan and Prentiss and conduct interviews?" Hotch asked.  
"No problem." Knox did his best to hide a small grin. Emily found it settling that he could so easily amused. Before anyone could move to complete their tasks, the phone rang. Seeing that it was Garcia, Hotch picked up quickly.  
"Got a match already, Garcia?" he asked hopefully.  
"Yes but sir, I don't-"  
"Send us the file. Good work Penelope." Hotch hung up, unaware of the fact that the technical analyst needed to warn him about the contents of the file he was receiving. Morgan, being closest to the laptop turned it on. After a few clicks, the team knew he had seen what they needed.  
"Guys." He warned as they gathered around the see what was so appalling. Once they did, they knew they had what they needed and more. One by one, the agents understood everything the man had told them. Emily's gasp was the only sound in the room as the team stared at the screen that showed a digital version of JJ's FBI identification badge. Leila wasn't related to a criminal…she was related to JJ.


	18. Chapter 18

Wow guys i LOVE your reviews. thank you soo much to the person who mentioned my mistake with the Roberts/Rodgers names. laughed at myself for that :) enjoy & dont forget to leave more fantastic reviews!

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**Chapter XVIII Family Ties**

"Run it again." Everyone turned to look at the blonde liaison.  
"Sunshine I already did. Three times." Garcia's voice said.  
"Run it again." JJ repeated, this time more forcefully.  
"JJ." Emily placed a hand on her friend's shoulder only to be shrugged off immediately.  
"Garcia, just do it." JJ practically begged. "Please." In the silence they heard Garcia tapping at the keys of her computer and within seconds, an audible _ping!_ erupted. Garcia sent the results to the laptop, proving that it had not been a malfunction. One side of the screen had Leila's genetic code and the other JJ's. The computer pointed out the partial match as JJ ran a hand through her hair. This isn't possible. It's just not possible.  
"I'm afraid it is." Rossi said. JJ hadn't realized she had spoken out loud.  
"Jay, did you…" Emily began. "Did you ever have a daughter and put her up for adoption?" Six pairs of eyes turned to the blonde and stared.  
"No!" she almost shouted. Seeing the unconvinced looks on her colleague's faces she repeated herself. "No, I swear."  
"Guys look." Reid eased closer to the screen. "It isn't JJ's daughter. If it was the match would be at least 40% but its only 35 here."  
"Then what is she, Reid?" Morgan asked.  
"She's your sister." Reid replied as he turned to look at JJ.  
"Half or…" she asked the genius. He took another look and shook his head.  
"No, full. You two share the same parents." He confirmed what JJ feared the most.  
"Are you saying," JJ placed a hand to her temple. "That the girl I've been watching get tortured for the past two days is my biological sister?"  
"Yes." Reid answered softly.  
"JJ did your parents ever mention putting a baby up for adoption?" Hotch asked.  
"Don't you think I would have remembered something like that?" she snapped and sighed. "I need to…I need to call my parents."  
"You might want to get Will and Henry too." Rossi suggested.  
"Why?"  
"The unsub is clearly obsessed with you and your family. We don't know exactly what he wants from them but for now we can be sure of one thing; it isn't Emily he's after, it's you. It'd be best if you told Will and your parents everything so they can take precautions." Once Rossi had finished, JJ nodded and left the room.  
"Alright, since we know what he wants there's no need to call a press conference. Reid, Garcia I still want you searching felon records. Prentiss, Morgan, Knox, head down to the neighborhood at around 7 o'clock. Rossi and I still have to speak to Withers." Hotch summarized and each agent left the room to accomplish their tasks. Emily, Derek and Knox still had an hour and a half until it was appropriate to go knocking on people's doors so they sat around Knox's desk.  
"Emily." She heard Hotch and saw him waving her over. She trotted over to her boss. "Can you check on her?"  
"Of course." Emily said. She had thought of giving her friend some time to herself and to speak to her family but headed towards the direction the blonde had went. As soon as she reached the bathroom door, Emily heard JJ speaking to one of her parents.  
"How do you think this isn't something I should know?! Eighteen years! You've lied to me for eighteen years and now I have to clean up your mess! Do you have any idea what you've put this girl through?! I had to watch her get beaten and tortured without even knowing who she was or why I felt the way I did! How selfish can you two possibly be to-" JJ heard a knock on the bathroom door as Emily strode in. Without another word to her parent she hung up. The two women just stood there looking at each other for a few moments, neither one knowing what to say. After a while, JJ lifted a hand and wiped at her wet eyes. Emily hadn't noticed that the blonde was crying. Without a word, she embraced the younger woman into a hug and let her cry into her shirt just as she had done for her. When she was finished, JJ looked up at the brunette and forced a smile.  
"We have got to stop meeting like this." She joked, lighten the mood only slightly. Emily chuckled and placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder.  
"You okay?" she asked not knowing what else to say.  
"I will be…once we get this asshole." JJ stated. Emily nodded her agreement. "How did he know?" JJ wrinkled her eyebrows together in thought.  
"Good question. We'll look into it." Emily assured the woman. "He must be someone you know personally."  
"The only people I know personally are you guys, Will, Henry and my parents. Well that last part, not as much as I thought. Regardless, I have just as great a social life as you do, Em."  
"So non-existent?" Emily joked causing her friend to laugh. "Listen, we're going to find him and we're going to save Leila and you guys are going to meet and it's all going to be perfect. I promise." The brunette enveloped her friend into another embrace.  
"Don't make promises you can't keep Emily Prentiss." JJ mumbled into the woman's shoulder.  
"I don't Jennifer Jareau." Emily confirmed. They released one another again and JJ went to the mirror, examining her reflection. She groaned at what she saw.  
"Damn, these sessions are really doing a number on my level of social acceptance." She said causing Emily to chuckle. She riffled through her purse and handed blush and a stick of eyeliner to the blonde. "Thanks." JJ began to reapply her makeup.  
"Hotch is worried about you." Emily stated matter-of-factly.  
"I guessed as much. He the one who sent you in here?" JJ asked.  
"I was going to come anyway but yea." Emily replied. "You two should just kiss and make up already." JJ frowned at the choice of words. "You know what I mean."  
"Just as soon as you and Morgan do." JJ said. "But make sure Detective McHotness isn't watching first." JJ chuckled at her own joke while Emily rolled her eyes. "Aren't they waiting for you to check out the neighborhood again?"  
"It's too early. Some people actually sleep, you know." Emily responded.  
"Lucky people." JJ grumbled. No amount of makeup could fix the dark circles and swollen eyes the two women had been sporting for the past 24 hours. "One of the many, many reasons I cannot wait for this case to be over."  
"Everyone and their mothers can't wait for this case to over. No pun intended." Emily cringed. For a second, she thought the choice of words might ruin JJ's improved mood. She realized she was wrong when the blonde nearly poked her eye out with a curler laughing.  
"Let's get this over with." JJ handed the makeup back to Emily and the two exited the bathroom and headed towards the bullpen where Morgan and Knox were waiting. Morgan shot out of his chair at the sight of JJ.  
"You okay Jay?" he asked. She smiled and nodded.  
"You guys better get going, it'll take at least twenty minutes to get there." JJ told the three. Knox gathered his keys and badge as Emily and Morgan exchanged glances. JJ held her breath thinking that maybe the two could apologize and get over their stubbornness at the same time. As she saw Emily whisk past the dark skinned profiler, she realized she was wrong. She rolled her eyes at the two as Morgan sighed and followed after her like a lost puppy. JJ turned and stared into the conference room. Reid was on the phone with Garcia sorting out potential suspects. Rossi and Hotch were asking Withers new questions. What was she supposed to do? Could she even be working on the case if the victim was a family member? As she was walking to join Reid and Garcia she bumped into someone.  
"Sorry." She said and looked up to see that it was Hotch.  
"My fault." He said at the same time. "JJ. Are you alright?" he asked her.  
"I'm fine. What do you need me to do?" she asked her boss. He scrunched his nose.  
"JJ, I'm not sure this is such a good idea." He admitted.  
"What are you talking about?" JJ's voice rose slightly.  
"Now that we know it's you he's after I don't think it's a good idea to have you so close." Hotch stated. JJ looked as if he had struck her.  
"Hotch." She looked at his desperately. "You can't take me off this case."  
"I can and I think it's best if you go home. Spend some time with Will and Henry. We can solve this without you."  
"You've got to be joking. That's my sister!" JJ pointed at the screen in the conference room.  
"You're too close to this on too many levels. Not only is it dangerous for you to be around him but-"  
"I am not afraid of him Hotch." JJ shot.  
"I know that and that's part of the problem." Hotch replied quickly. JJ stared at him, confused. "I don't think you'll be able to control yourself if and when we get him."  
"Are you saying you don't trust me enough to believe I won't kill him?" JJ asked, hands placed firmly on her hips.  
"It's not a matter of trust, it's just that-"  
"No Hotch. You can't. You can't just send me to my room like an insolent child. If I can't help my own family, why am I doing this job?" JJ asked him.  
"Alright but listen to me." Hotch pointed a finger at her. "Do not speak to him the next time he calls us. Don't antagonize him. Do not even look at him. When we find where he is, you stay in the car. When we bring him in, you do not get to interrogate him. I want you at least a hundred feet away from this man at all times, are we clear?"  
"Crystal." JJ beamed.  
"Now come watch our interview with Withers. See if you can spot anything we miss." Hotch ordered. JJ couldn't help but think that Rossi and Hotch in a room together would never miss anything, why would they need her help? They didn't. He was just trying to give her something to do. She could live with that… for now.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter XIX Sent Packing**

"Thank you for coming in, Mr. Withers." Rossi said as he and Hotch entered the interrogation room.

"Anything to help Leila. What do you want to know?" the man asked. Both agents pulled out a chair and sat across from Withers.

"Everything. We need to know every intricate details of Leila's life. Before and after the accident." Hotch told him. Withers sighed and slowly began reciting the girl's life as if he had it memorized.

"You know she was adopted. It was closed, no one knows who the parents are, including Allison and David. They took her in when she was six and had Henry when she was thirteen."

"Did Leila seem resentful when the Ryan's announced the conception?" Rossi asked.

"Not resentful, just worried. I guess she thought they would send her back once they had a kid of their own." Withers shrugged off the notion. "Would've never happened. They loved her so much, you know? And she loved them. Do you know who took her yet?" Withers picked at his nails, clearly agitated.

"Not yet, but we're doing our best." Rossi assured him.

"Well your best is clearly not good enough!" Withers slammed his hands down on the metal table causing it to shake.

"Mr. Withers, getting upset with us is not going to help Leila. We all want the same thing: to bring Leila home." Hotch frowned. The man had just as much of a temper as Mark Gray did. "Is there anything else you can tell us?"

"I don't know what you want to hear. She was a great kid, four point oh student, fantastic voice, scholarships to any school you can dream of…then the accident happened and she turned into a different person."

"Can you elaborate?" Rossi urged the man.

"Well like I told you and the other agent," Withers tilted his head towards Hotch. "She started drinking. She'd come in hung over, tossed her cell phone so no one could contact her, just stuff that a normal teenage girl wouldn't do." Withers seemed to linger and the hesitation caught the agents' attention.

"What else?" Hotch asked. After a few moments of silence, the unit chief grew annoyed. "Mr. Withers, either you tell us what we need to know or I'll arrest you for obstructing a federal investigation. You're choice." Withers sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"There was an incident." He admitted.

"What sort of incident?" Rossi asked.

"Leila, she…she would get drunk at home and if anyone came by, she'd kind of…go ballistic." Withers mumbled. "This one night…her boyfriend, I think his name was Jackson, he went over about two weeks after the accident. He tried to talk to her but she wouldn't have it. She…umm... she threw a glass bottle at him. Kid was in the hospital for a week. Doctor's said a centimeter to the left and he'd be dead." Wither let the information sink in.

"Nothing came up on her file." Rossi stated.

"Kid didn't want to press charges. Refused even after his parents threatened to sue. He agreed to move to make them happy but told them that if they charged her, they'd never hear from him again."

"He was in love with her." Rossi deduced. Withers nodded.

"Probably still is. Wouldn't know, haven't heard from him since that day." Suddenly, the door burst open and JJ came flying in, a photograph in her hand.

"Mr. Withers, I'm Agent Jareau. We need to know, is this Jackson?" JJ handed the manager the photo the unsub had taken of Leila on a date. The boy was tall, with broad shoulders, tanned skin, jet black hair that matched Leila's perfectly, and deep green eyes. Withers froze at the sight of JJ. "Mr. Withers?" Rossi and Hotch concluded that the man had noticed the likeness that JJ and Leila shared as he raised a shaky arm and glanced at the picture.

"That's him." Withers confirmed, his voice low. As Hotch and Rossi began to thank him, Withers stood and said, "Excuse me, ma'am?" JJ whirled around, meeting the man's gaze. "I hope you don't mind me saying but you…you look just like her." JJ froze, her breath caught in her throat. Rossi and Hotch exchanged uncomfortable glances.

"Yea, I know." JJ mumbled, hardly audibly, as she hastily exited the room leaving Alexander Withers in something that closely related to shock. Once on the other side of the glass, Hotch rounded on JJ.

"What the hell were you thinking? Do you not remember what I specifically ordered you _not _to do?"

"Hotch, it's not him."

"And what it was him? Do you have any idea what your presence could have caused?" Hotch ignored the look Rossi was throwing his way and continued to reprimand his subordinate.

"Actually, I do. I'm not as stupid as you make me out to be Hotch. Not only was I aware that if he was our unsub, he wouldn't be able to refrain from reacting to my entrance, but I also knew that we needed to identify a potential target. I already have Garcia running the-"

"I don't think you understand the magnitude of the situation." Hotch's voice rose dramatically. "I clearly told you to stay away. I told you to _observe_ the interview and instead you barge in and think that identifying this boy is more important than your safety. Your emotions are clearly getting in the way of your ability to conduct this investigation and I-"

"Don't work the tough love angle on me, Hotch. I told you before and I'll tell you again: I am not afraid of whoever is doing this! If it was Withers, then he would have reacted and given himself away. If it wasn't, which it clearly isn't, then we simply concluded the interview."

"_You should be afraid, JJ!_" Hotch roared. The intensity of his voice made JJ refrain from yelling back. She couldn't remember the last time she saw Hotch this engrossed. "You've seen hundreds of crime scene photos of the victims of these types of unsubs. You _know_ what people like this man are capable of and yet you sit here and pretend like this just another day at the office. This is your life we're dealing with Jennifer and if you don't value it then the least you can do is think about the people who do, people like Will and Henry and the team. If you're too proud to deal with this case in the way that I deem appropriate then you won't be dealing with it at all. Go back to the hotel and pack your bags. You leave in the morning." A few seconds of silence passed before anyone spoke.

"You can't just-"

"I just did. Go. Now." Hotch ordered and strode past her towards the bullpen. The entire precinct had gotten wind of their conversation and tried to hide the fact that they were eavesdropping. Dave sighed and shook his head as he followed Hotch towards the conference room and for what felt like the hundredth time that day, JJ felt completely alone.

"Officer." Hotch got the attention of the closest uniform and ignored the terrified look on the man's face. "Could you take Agent Jareau to the hotel?"

"Of course." The redheaded man replied.

"Have someone posted outside her door at all times, do you understand me?" Hotch pressed. The man nodded and went looking for the blonde agent.

"So that was interesting." Rossi called from behind him. Hotch turned and saw the Italian nonchalantly sitting on a desk.

"Going to try and convince me I was wrong to send her back?" Hotch asked sarcastically.

"No."

"But…?"

"But would you leave if you were her?" Rossi stared at his friend as realization seeped into his eyes. Hotch ran a hand through his hair as he realized that no matter what he said, JJ wasn't leaving New Jersey without her sister. The only thing he had done was give her time to regroup and start investigating on her own.

"As long as she doesn't leave that room, I don't care. Dave, she's going to get herself killed." Hotch pressed as if trying to convince himself.

"I don't know about that Aaron. She's pretty tough; tougher than we give her credit for sometimes." Dave rubbed his bearded chin.

"I never said she wasn't but that doesn't change the fact that this man, this unsub, is obsessed with her. He'll do anything to have her and if he can't then no one can."

"You saw her, Hotch. There's no way this son of a bitch is getting out of this alive. He messed with wrong the blonde." Rossi assured his friend.

"I really hope you're right Dave." Hotch sighed as he and Rossi entered the conference room.

* * *

Oh, JJ. Sigh.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter XX Leads**

"You can go now Officer…" JJ waited outside of her hotel room and stared down the young redheaded man.

"Stein. And no, ma'am I can't. Agent Hotchner gave me very specific orders to-" Before the man could finish, JJ scoffed and slammed the door in his face. She knew it wasn't fair, that he was only doing his job, but that didn't stop her annoyance from rising even further. Grumbling not so friendly phrases about Aaron Hotchner, JJ decided to use this time to take a proper shower. She stripped down quickly and hopped into the remarkably elegant shower. She turned the water on and let the hot water hit her face. Part of her wanted to stay there forever but she knew she had to get out eventually. Ten minutes later, JJ was toweling her hair dry and calling her husband. She needed to hear his voice now more than ever. After two rings, she got what she wanted.

"JJ, thank God. Your mother told me what's happening. Why haven't you called? Is everything alright? Where are you?" Will rapid fired question after question and JJ couldn't help but smile at his concern.

"I'm alright, I'm fine. I'm sorry I didn't call sooner, I was…occupied." JJ winced at the subtle lie. She didn't want to tell Will that she had been ordered to return home.

"You're not fine, I know it. Please, JJ just come home. You don't need to be there for this." Will begged his wife.

"Will, you know I can't do that." JJ sighed.

"Why not?"

"I have to find her."

"But Jay-"

"I'm staying." JJ repeated more forcefully. She heard Will sigh as he gave up trying to convince her. "You knew I would."

"Yea. I did. Can't blame me for tryin' though." He said. JJ chuckled and was surprised at how foreign the noise sounded to her ears. "I'm really sorry JJ."

"I know, it sucks." She sat on her bed and closed her eyes as she listened to the soothing voice of her husband. "Is Henry there?"

"Yea, he's been dyin' to talk to ya." JJ heard Will call Henry's name, footsteps, and finally her son's voice.

"Hi Momma!" the little boy squealed.

"Hey baby. How are you?" JJ asked her son.

"I'm good." There was a moment of pause before her son asked, "Momma, why grandma and grandpa sad?"

"I'll explain it to you later, okay buddy? Now why don't you tell me how school was today?"

"You did what?" Morgan's voice pierced the silence of the room after Hotch had informed Morgan, Prentiss, Reid, Garcia, and Knox that he was sending JJ home.

"Hotch you can't-" Emily began but was interrupted by her boss.

"I'm really getting tired of my subordinates telling what I can and cannot do." He cried. Emily sank back into her chair and the rest of the team sat shocked. Hotch had never, ever, pulled rank on them before, nor did he ever mention the fact that he outranked every member of the team and probably always will. He ran a hand through his dark hair and sighed.

"Hotch," Morgan said softly. "You know she's not going to leave."

"Then I'll keep her locked in that room until this is over." He replied quickly. "I won't have another Elle on my hands."

"JJ is nothing like Elle and you know it. She just wants her sister." Morgan shot back.

"I know that and I can appreciate the situation she is in, especially considering the fact that she had no idea she even had a sister two…three days ago, but I cannot allow my agents to purposely put themselves in harm's way. Understood?" Each agent nodded silently. "Now, what did you find?"

"We canvassed the neighborhood and surrounded areas. We also went around the studio, pool, and school." Knox spoke for the first time. "Turns out, Leila used to be a popular girl. Everyone knew her and that was before the accident."

"We spoke to a Mrs. Delray who told us that she used to get visitors three to four times a day but she would never answer the door." Emily added.

"How does that help us?" Reid asked.

"Because Mrs. Delray remembered seeing a black SUV parked outside the Ryan's home a few days after the accident." Morgan said.

"Do we think that's our unsub?" Rossi asked.

"Considering the fact that all he did was watch the house for almost a full week without actually visiting Leila, yea we think it's him." Emily concluded.

"Do we have a sketch?" Hotch asked.

"Unfortunately, no." Morgan said. "Tinted windows make it hard to see faces."

"So we're back to nothing." Garcia mumbled from the screen. A silence overcame the group once more.

"She did say that they weren't Jersey plates." Emily said as she flipped through her notes. "'Either Virginia or Rhode Island.'"

"Garcia, I know it's a long shot but look up Virginia and Rhode Island plates for black SUVs." Hotch said.

"This unsub definitely has a history. Look up priors like stalking or even assault." Rossi provided.

"Narrow that down to white men, ages 30-40 with a high functioning job." Emily added.

"96 results." Garcia announced.

"Take away married men." Morgan said.

"77." The team thought for a moment.

"Garcia, did any of those men lose a loved one recently? Through death, divorce, custody battles?" Reid asked.

"32, my pretties." Garcia said.

"How many of those loved ones were blonde women?" Hotch asked.

"19!" she practically shouted.

"Good work Garcia, send us those files." Hotch said.

"You'll have them faster than you can say 'perfection'. PG out!" A _ping!_ rang out signaling that the files had arrived.

"Alright everyone, grab a laptop and find him." Hotch ordered.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter XXI Progress**

_He just stood there. The silhouette hiding in the shadows stood over the body of a young girl and stared at her. JJ did the only thing her body allowed her to do: stare back. Suddenly, she heard a cry, baby's cry. Maternal instinct kicking in, JJ took a step towards the sound only to be stopped by the shadowed figure. Now that she had moved closer she could see the outline of his face…but it wasn't a face at all. In the place of any human features was a mask; a horrible mask that seemed glued to its face. Surprised, JJ halted her approach and continued to watch the creature as it bent down and picked up the screaming infant. When it turned around, JJ's heart caught in her throat. It was Henry! The monster was holding her baby! Just as the blonde agent was about to pounce towards the mysterious figure the body on the floor stirred. The corpse rolled over and stared at her with wide, blue eyes. Leila, JJ thought. Oh God, I failed! She's dead! JJ slumped to her knees as the sickly pale face turned and adjusted itself to face her fully. _

_ "Why didn't you save me?" she croaked, her voice raspy. A tear made its way down JJ's cheek as the words hit her. "Why did you let him kill me, Jennifer? I thought you were my sister. Why am I dead instead of you?"_

_When the girl had finished, her eyes rolled behind her head and her body dropped back to the ground. A throaty laugh escaped the lips of the monster standing over the body. Henry started to scream for his momma. The laugh deepened and grew in volume until it enveloped her completely and for the first time since she was a little girl, JJ felt pure, paralyzing fear._

* * *

"JJ!" Emily practically shouted. "JJ, wake up!" The brunette grabbed her friend's shoulders and shook her violently. Another scream ripped through the air as tears streaked down the blonde woman's face. "Jennifer, you have to wake up!" Emily shouted. Before she knew it, a fist connected with her jaw and she recoiled, grunting. Emily held her injured jaw in her hand as she looked up and saw the blonde sitting straight up in her bed, her eyes wide and unwavering, fresh tears still making their way down her pale skin. As Emily approached the woman, she realized that her friend was still asleep. Ignoring the pain in her jaw, she placed her hands gently on the blonde's shoulders. "Jay?" After a few seconds, the trembling woman blinked and seemed to awaken from her nightmare.

"Em." Her voice shook as more tears tumbled freely down her cheeks.

"It's me, JJ. It's alright." Emily cooed as she wrapped her arms around the terrified woman. JJ pulled the brunette close and dropped her head into the other woman's shoulder. Sobs racked her body as her tears stained Emily's shirt. "It was just a nightmare, Jay. Everyone's fine. You're okay." Emily stroked the woman's hair as her sobs continued to shake her very core.

"She was..there. And dead." JJ managed to say between whimpers. "She was dead and he was there! He had Henry! And she said…she said it was…my fault…all… my fault." Emily shushed the rambling woman until her weeping seemed to lessen. Emily moved back, forcing JJ to look at her. She placed her hands on her friend's shoulders and waited for her to regain composure. Once she did, Emily wiped away a few stray tears.

"Tell me." The brunette said softly. Emily listened intently for the next half hour as JJ recounted the events of her nightmare in great detail. When she had finished, Emily understood the fear that refused to leave the blonde's eyes. A dream like that would traumatize anyone. "Listen to me Jennifer." Emily said sternly. "This, all of this, is NOT your fault. There is nothing, I repeat NOTHING, you could have done to prevent this. Do you understand me?"

"Emily," JJ sniffled. "If she dies, it'll be because he didn't get what he wanted. Me."

"Let's make one thing perfectly clear: Leila is not going to die. And we are not giving him what he wants. Ever. This is going to end OUR way. Okay?" Emily offered an honest smile and waited for the blonde to return it.

"Did you guys find anything?" JJ finally asked.

"We narrowed it down to 4 suspects." Emily told her.

"That's fantastic!" JJ shot up, forgetting her nightmare altogether.

"Yea, but there's one problem." Emily said quietly.

"What is it?"

"He sent another email. This time he scheduled a meeting. Tomorrow at noon." JJ took in the information quietly as Emily removed her jacket. She noticed the brunette opening and closing her jaw, working the muscles.

"What happened?" JJ indicated to her own jaw.

"Oh um…nothing. Don't worry about it." Emily replied quickly.

"It's clearly not nothing. Let me see." JJ scoffed and approached her friend. "It could be broken." A bruise had already begun to form in the shape of a small fist. JJ seemed to notice the pain in her knuckles as Emily winced at her touch. "Oh, damn it, Em! I'm so sorry!" JJ's eyes were wet again, the thought of hurting her best friend too much after the night she had just had.

"Jay, it's alright! Seriously, I'm fine! Please don't cry." Emily cried. JJ half laughed at her words.

"God damn it, I'm never like this." She angrily wiped at her eyes. Emily chucked.

"Don't worry I know exactly how you feel. Well, almost exactly." JJ gave the brunette a questioning look. "When I was in Paris the only thing I wanted to do was crawl up in a ball and cry. We both know how often that happens, right?" JJ, surprised at the new information, smiled at her friend.

"I'm still sorry."

"Well I can think of a way for you to make it up to me." JJ frowned, ready to hear the proposition. "Have a look at these files. Tell me if I missed anything. The last thing I want is a pissed off Hotch on my case." Emily winked at her and JJ knew that this was no favor.

"I think I can do that." JJ smiled.

"Good. While you do I'm going to wash some of…whatever this is out of my hair." Emily pulled a strand of hair away from her face and stared, disgustingly, at it as she made her way to the bathroom. For a moment, JJ just stared at the files in her hands until she decided to do something with them. Sitting on her bed, she opened the first one and was met with a smiling picture of Leila…her sister. JJ sighed and started to read, finally gaining insight on who her sister really is.

There was a knock on the door. JJ knew because she hadn't slept since Emily's arrival. She looked at the clock: 8 AM. The sun had started to make its way through the slits in the curtains almost four hours ago and JJ had been antsy ever since. They were wasting precious time. Shooting up from her bed, JJ looked through the peephole and saw a smiling Rossi on the other side holding two cups of what she assumed to be coffee.

"Morning." She said to him, accepting the warm cup.

"Thought you might want an early morning." The older man said. "Sleep well?"

"What do you think?" JJ scoffed and immediately regretted it. "Sorry." Dave held up his hands.

"No problem, kiddo. I've got plenty of experience with pissed off women, especially in the morning." Rossi shot her a wink which caused a smile to ease its way onto her face. "There it is." JJ rolled her eyes at the man as she let him in the room. "Might want to wake up 'Her Majesty'." Dave said as he saw Emily's body sprawled out in every direction on the bed. Now he realized why JJ never wanted to share a bed with the woman.

"That's the only thing I look forward to on mornings like this." JJ chuckled as she picked up her pillow and threw it across the room at Emily's sleeping form. It hit the brunette in the face but she barely stirred. Dave chuckled as JJ groaned. "Get up, Emily!" Nothing. Rolling her eyes again, she strolled over to Dave said "may I?" and took the coffee from his hands. She opened the top, placed the steaming cup on the nightstand that separated the two beds and waited. Within seconds, Emily was sitting up her bed.

"What time is it?" she managed to slur out.

"Time for the Royal carriage to pick up the Queen." JJ joked. Emily's mumbled 'huh?' could be heard over Dave's laughter. "Thanks for the coffee. We'll be down in five."

"Make that ten." Emily grumbled as she practically crawled to the bathroom. Chuckling, Dave made his way towards the door but not before he noticed the yellow folder sticking out from underneath the covers of JJ's bed.

"See you." The blonde ushered him quickly out the door and closed it. Shaking his head, the older profiler made his way to the lobby to knock some sense into their Unit Chief. 

Less than ten minutes the later, the women of the BAU made their way to the lobby and seated themselves around their colleagues. No one failed to notice the bruise Emily's jaw was sporting nor the black circles that seemed to permanently make themselves at home under JJ's eyes but they were all wiser than to ask.

"Tell her." Dave's voice broke the silence as he stared intently at Hotch. The Unit Chief sighed but turned to face JJ nonetheless. Worry crept onto her features.

"Jackson Vanbelle is missing." Hotch grumbled, clearly still annoyed at the blonde.

"The boyfriend? What does he have to do with this?"

"We think he's our unsub." Morgan inputted. "After the…incident, Jackson's parents wanted to press charges against Leila. As you know, he refused so instead they took him as far away from her as they could. Last known address is in LA."

"We called his parents, no answer. Two months ago a couple matching their physiques was found murdered in an alleyway. ID's couldn't be made. Vanbelle disappeared the next day." Rossi added.

"Garcia's looking for them-or him- now." Reid told JJ.

"So, we think a seventeen year old boy has had an…obsession with me for the past year?" Clearly more than disturbed by the thought, JJ shuddered as her teammates nodded.

"He was invited for a leadership conference in D.C when the pictures were taken. He could've easily got in after he found out about Leila's past and used it as a cover to stalk us- well you." Emily told her friend.

"I guess he could've." JJ replied weakly.

"JJ." Hotch got her attention. "I did some thinking and decided that you should stay. When- yes, I did say w_hen_- we find him, whoever he may be, your presence might be the only thing keeping him sedated." JJ forced back a smile and the urge to hug the man as she said,

"You make me sound like a drug Hotch."

"Well to him, you are."

"And with that pleasant thought permanently seared into my cerebral cortex, can we please head to the station?" JJ asked the group as they chuckled at her response and rose to leave. "Hotch." She lightly grabbed hold of the man's sleeve. "Thank you."

"Just do me a favor." Her boss said.

"I know, I know: don't get in the-"

"Get some sleep. Whenever you have some time, just grab a seat in the conference room."

"Is it that obvious?" JJ asked, slightly embarrassed.

"Recall who you work with?" Hotch tried to lighten the mood. A flash appeared in her eyes as something crossed her mind. As quickly as it had appeared, it was gone before Hotch could ask.

"Too true. Alright, I promise I'll try." The blonde smiled and took off following the others.

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How is it that you guys are practically caught up with my writing? uh oh, i need to speed up;)


	22. Chapter 22

You guys have officially caught up with me and that's pretty sad on my part hahaa. Sorry for not posting in a while but I hope you enjoyed these 2 chapters! Remember to PLEASE leave a review!

* * *

**Chapter XXII Don't **

"Agents." Detective Knox greeted them as they made their way to the conference room.

"Detec-"

"What happened?" Knox rushed over to Emily after noticing the now purple jaw.

"I, uh, fell getting out the shower last night." Emily lied. Everyone but Knox seemed to catch the red tint that JJ's cheeks had taken and guessed at what had occurred.

"Are you alright?" the detective took a step closer to the brunette. Embarrassed by the attention, Emily sidestepped the man.

"Of course. Come on, we've got a case to solve." She led the way to the conference room. JJ caught up the woman and touched her shoulder.

"You don't have to lie for me, Em."

"It's fine JJ. Stop worrying about it." Emily smiled at the blonde as they took their seats at the table. Files were scattered across the top, some separated from the rest. Hotch picked up the four that had their own pile as everyone took a seat.

"One of these guys is our unsub. Garcia sent over the files during the night but two out of four don't have pictures." He said, mainly for JJ's benefit.

"How come?" she asked.

"They've either never been arrested, are currently unemployed, don't have a driver's license, have had their records expunged, or a combination of the four." Reid explained.

"We have a little less than four hours to sort through these and find our guy." Morgan said. "All four of these guys are white, single men between the ages of 30-40 with relatively important jobs. Each has lost a loved one within the past two years, all of which were blonde women in his age group."

"Morgan, Prentiss take Darren Yule. Reid and JJ, Malcolm Bennett, Rossi, Phillip Cole and I'll take Ethan Borne. You know what to look for." Hotch ordered.

"What do you want me to do?" Knox asked the Unit Chief.

"Garcia's going through medical documents, accident reports, criminal records, any piece of paper these men have with their name on it. Do you mind helping her sort through relevant information?"

"On it." Knox sat in front of a laptop and put a pair of headphones on as to not disturb the others while he spoke to the technical analyst.

"Anything?" an exasperated Emily asked the group. Two and a half hours into the search and no one had found anything useful.

"I have a parking ticket about seven blocks away from Leila's home a week before the disappearance." Rossi mumbled, knowing the information was purely circumstantial.

"Anything we can actually use?" Emily grumbled earning herself a glare from the Italian profiler.

"This feels wrong." Garcia's voice said.

"Whattaya mean Baby Girl?" Morgan asked the blonde analyst.

"I mean, three of these men are perfectly innocent, but we're digging into their lives like moles."

"Pen, you know we have to." Emily replied without looking up from her file.

"I know Gumdrop, but that doesn't make it any better."

"What if we got it wrong?" JJ asked softly. "What if none of these guys is the unsub?"

"We have to trust the profile." Hotch said, determined.

"What if the profile's wrong Hotch?" Morgan asked, mirroring JJ's expression. "We only have," he checked his watch, "75 minutes until this entire case implodes like a plane crash and then what?" No one had a reply.

"Plane crash." JJ repeated quietly. Emily shot her partner a look, clearly dissatisfied with his lack of sensitivity.

"I'm sorry, Jay. I didn't mean to-"

"Garcia, if one of these men changed their name would that be in these files?" the blonde asked the techie.

"Probably not. Those records are usually sealed by a court for privacy reasons."

"What are you getting at JJ?" Rossi frowned as the blonde paced.

"Unseal them, Pen."

"I- I can't do that Sunshine. Not legally." A silence swept over the room as every pair of eyes turned to Hotch. He frowned in thought. Asking Garcia to hack into the courts in four towns was risky, even for her. They had pushed their luck with this kind of thing before and the dark haired profiler didn't want to test fate once more. But this was a girl's life, surely anyone would understand that.

"Do it, Garcia. Unseal everything we need to know." He ordered.

"Which would be…" Garcia asked.

"Everything. What they had for breakfast if you can." A smile crept on Garcia's features as she saluted the Unit Chief.

"Whatever you say, mighty leader of mine." Tapping away at her keyboard furiously, Garcia unearthed the most private details in the four men's lives. "Alright, crime fighters. Malcolm Bennett recently changed his name after he was violently beaten in an alley about two years ago." The team waited for more information. "And so did former Darren Yule."

"What for?" Morgan asked as each member of the team leaned closer to the screen.

"Ummm…" Garcia continued typing with more ferocity than before. "File doesn't say. Ugh, how inconvenient can you get?!" she sighed.

"Can you find out what their names are now?" Reid asked.

"I can but it's going to take a little more…digging."

"How long?" Rossi asked.

"Gimme 45 minutes."

"Hurry Garcia, we have an hour." Hotch said.

"Don't miss me too much." Garcia cried as she turned off their feed.

"How'd you think of that Jay?" Morgan turned to the blonde who was still rubbing her chin in thought. Her hand made its way to her neck as she rubbed the horseshoe necklace for what seemed like the thousandth time that week.

"I'm not sure." She said without glancing up.

"If you've thought of anything, tell us. This is about you, remember?" Hotch pressed.

"Don't need to remind me." She mumbled but continued to pace.

"If something's occurred to you, it could be more than a feeling JJ." He continued. "You know just as well as we do that the little hairs on the back of your neck often tell the truth."

"I know it's just…"

"Just what Jay?" Emily asked.

"There was this guy. I see him almost every day. I don't know why it didn't occur to me before."

"What guy?" Morgan urged her on.

"He used to flirt me with me until I got with Will." She continued as if no one had spoken. "Then I'd just catch him staring. It wasn't particularly uncomfortable, just weird."

"JJ, what his-" Emily was interrupted by a _ping_ from the computer. Garcia's frowning face appeared on their screen.

"I got another link! I haven't finished with the names. He's early! Why is he early?!"

"Put it up." Hotch ordered knowing that prolonging the viewing would only anger the man. He turned to JJ as everyone took a seat. "Remember what I told you. Don't give him anything, no matter what." She simply stared back, worrying the man further. _Please God, don't let her do anything stupid._ Snow appeared on the screen followed by the sound of shuffling as the unsub rearranged the camera's position. An image started to appear; Leila was sitting with her back against the wall, her knees drawn up to her chest, while the unsub smiled at his audience.

"You got my message?" he asked softly, speaking directly to JJ. She simply stared back, blue eyes like frozen ice penetrating through the lens.

"We did." Hotch replied as if JJ wasn't present. "All we want is Leila. Let her go and we can talk all you want." The man behind the mask scoffed.

"You want Leila. You know what I want." His eyes darted to JJ once more as the blonde stiffened in her seat. Noticing her increasing agitation, the team did everything they could do direct his attention away from their friend.

"You know that's not happening." Morgan responded as the older brother JJ never had.

"Then I'll just have to continue amusing myself with her instead." He indicated to Leila as if she were less than human and not worthy of being JJ's doppelganger.

"This has gone on long enough. When we find you, and I assure you we will, I will personally guarantee that the next time you see the light of day, it'll be for one hour a day in a stone courtyard on an island thousands of miles away from anything you care about." Rossi shot back, genuinely afraid for the girl's safety. Every member of the team had stone-faced expressions, but none as perfect as JJ's. She took in the conversation around her without really listening. She knew that if she paid any attention to this man, not only would she completely lose it, but she would also willingly offer herself up for an exchange. Unfortunately, Hotch would never allow that to happen and JJ had run out of ideas.

"It's easy to threaten me when you're protected by cyberspace, isn't it Dave?" the man taunted him.

"Why don't you tell us exactly where you are and we'll show you just how willing we are to make a believer out of you." Emily snarled and did her best to ignore the man's cruel laughter. He had strode over to the corner of the room Leila had taken refuge in and crouched down until he was eye-level with the teenager. Leila tried to squirm away from his touch as he reached over and caressed her cheek.

"Oh Emily, you're lucky I have a thing for blondes." The man chuckled as he glanced over his shoulder.

"You're lucky you aren't within my reach, you sick freak." Emily spat back. A silence crept over the group as they waited for a reaction. Instead of replying, the unsub grabbed Leila viciously by the hair and yanked her forward. She crumbled into a ball in front of the camera and each member of the team was petrified as to what he would do to her. He approached the table with what they presumed to be the laptop and took hold of something they couldn't see…but Leila could. She struggled to rise on shaky legs and back away from the man but stumbled instead. Clearly, the abuse she was received was finally starting to take its toll on the girl. Emily glanced at her friend and saw JJ's eyes widen slightly and her grip on the edge of the table tightening until her knuckles were white. When the man reentered the view of the camera, the team saw that he had a large hunting knife in his hand as he approached the fallen girl. He grabbed her by the hair again and this time Leila couldn't help but cry out slightly. Yanking her head back, he exposed her throat to the camera and placed the knife at the base of her neck. The girl's breathing increased to verge of hyperventilating as agonizing fear flooded her whole being. Was this how she was to die?

"I should just slit her throat and make you watch as she bleeds to death after what you did to me." He mumbled and stared directly at JJ. Her heart caught in her throat as she realized that he might actually do it. She glanced at Hotch as if looking for permission to address the man threatening her sister's life but he simply shook his head. The man pressed the knife harder against Leila's skin until finally, crimson blood started to drip down the girl's neck. She flinched but was kept in place by the vice-like grip on her hair. At seeing her sister's blood being spilt because of her, JJ shot from her chair and cried,

"Don't Jeremy!"

* * *

i would really love to stop calling him 'the man'...it's getting pretty repetative at this point. Like I said, pleasepleasepleasepleaseeee leave a review and let me know what you think? Without looking back can anyone tell me who Jeremy is? You can PM me your answer if you want:) Also, what's significant about one of the names in the list of 4? Did anyone catch that?


	23. Chapter 23

Finally managed to fix the spacing. Can't believe I didn't think of that sooner -_-

* * *

**Chapter XXIII Beginning of the End**

The masked man froze as did the rest of the team. Each turned a shocked pair of eyes towards the blonde who had spoken but no one said a word. As if snapping out a trance, Leila's assailant stopped as did the steady flow of blood down the girl's neck.

"Finally." He laughed out loud as his hand reached up and removed the ski mask. A familiar face stared back at the team and each had to suppress a gasp. "That thing was way too itchy."

"Jeremy Parrilla." Rossi said quietly as the information sank in. The team's pilot.

"Congratulations Jennifer! Although I am a little disappointed that it took you this long to figure it out. I mean who else would go to such extents for you?" Parrilla asked the blonde. JJ blinked once and thankfully had a response ready before the man had finished.

"I'm sorry it took so long Jeremy." Lie. "You're right I don't know anyone who would try so hard to get my attention." Lie. Parrilla let go of Leila and seemed to forget his audience as JJ spoke to him. It was like she was the only thing that mattered to him. The girl slowly backed away from the man and resumed her position in the corner of the camera. JJ sighed in relief knowing that she was a good ten feet away from the maniac.

"I've missed you Jen." He said quietly. Without missing a beat, JJ replied,

"I've missed you too. I was worried about you when you called in sick last week." JJ recalled meeting the replacement pilot for their last two cases and mentally smacked herself for not putting the pieces together sooner.

"Well, I'm sure you know that an…operation such as this one takes a bit of setting up." Jeremy smiled at her, his grey eyes widening. JJ laughed, trying her hardest to make it sound legitimate. Seeing Jeremy's smile expand, she knew she was successful.

"I have no doubt. Listen, Jeremy," she took a step closer to the camera blocking his view of the team behind her. "I want to see you. Do you think that could be arranged?"

"You know there's nothing more I want to do JJ but I don't want them." He pointed behind her and she made it a point to not turn around.

"Who cares about them?" she asked him. "This is about us. How about you tell me where you are and I'll come to you?" Jeremy seemed to ponder this, the idea of quality time with JJ too intriguing to pass up. The group behind her exchanged impressed looks; she was good.

"How do I know you won't bring them?" he asked JJ and she forced herself to smile. She knew what she had to say but the thought alone made bile rise up in her throat.

"Because I love you. Why would I let them ruin that?" she stared directly into the man's eyes as he contemplated whether or not she was telling the truth.

"It's true." A voice behind her called out. JJ stepped aside and allowed Emily to enter the conversation. "She told me so herself."

"I did Jeremy." JJ urged.

"What about the Cajun?" he asked, an inferno igniting behind his eyes. JJ's heart leapt the mention of Will. She scoffed.

"Everyone makes mistakes. He's simply number one on my list." JJ reassured him.

"The kid?"

"Accidents happen too." She said quickly, the thought of referring to her family as mistakes and accidents causing her to hate the man even more. Still, Jeremy looked unconvinced. JJ toyed with the thought of telling him that Will had forced himself on her but dismissed it immediately knowing that the man would no doubt kill her husband. "I just want to start over Jeremy…with you."

"And her?" Jeremy pointed towards Leila. The girl shrunk further into the wall realizing that he had not forgotten about her.

"I don't even know her. Unfortunately we can't start our life together if anything happens to her. Just tell me where you two are and I'll come and get you. We can leave her there until someone else finds her and by the time they do, we'll be long gone." JJ feared that she had pressed too hard as she saw confusion dawn on the man's features. He frantically looked around the room and gave off the impression of a caged animal.

"No, no, no." he mumbled. "You're lying!"

"Why would I lie to you?" JJ countered, her heart beating faster with every step he took towards Leila. She allowed herself to look at the girl, her sister, and saw that she was looking back. Even from a distance, her penetrating blue eyes were clearly visible and JJ wished she hadn't seen those very eyes in the mirror every day.

"Stop it!" Jeremy pressed a hand to his head as he paced around the room. He was having a nervous breakdown. "She's lying!" he cried out, causing worried glances to bounce around the room. Damn it, JJ thought. He was multiple personalities.

"No, I'm not. I really do love him." JJ spoke to whoever had taken over for the time being.

"Just kill her. Kill her. Do it. Do it!" The dominant personality screamed.

"I can't!" Jeremy cried out.

"Then let me do it."

"NO!" Jeremy screamed as he hit his own head trying to force the intruder out. "She looks like her. Don't!" Jeremy was obviously fighting for control over his body but it was clear that he was losing. If whoever wanted to kill Leila took complete control before Jeremy could tell them where he was, Leila was dead.

"Jeremy! If you tell me where you are I can stop him from killing her!" JJ cried out. Jeremy, or whoever it was now, laughed maniacally.

"Don't worry, Jen." The man looked up at her after regaining his control. "I'll leave a little something for you to find…once I'm done of course." He rapidly approached Leila, knife in hand, and JJ snapped.

"Don't! I swear to God, if you kill her I will find you. I will never stop looking and once I do, I will personally put a bullet in every appendage you have you sick son-of-a-bitch!" JJ screamed and shoved a hand off of her shoulder. Ignoring her, he grabbed the girl by the hair and shoved her to the ground in front of the camera. She fought him, nails scratching his face and arms, legs kicking wildly, but he subdued her quickly. He grabbed both arms in one hand and pinned them above her head and straddled her waist, rendering her kicks useless. No one spoke as he brought the knife to her face and showed it to her. Leila continued to stare at the man; refusing to show him how afraid she truly was, as he stroked her cheek with its side. Eyes wide, she ignored the cold steel pressed against her skin.

"Close your eyes." He ordered. That was it! Her eyes, they were identical to JJ's and if he didn't want to see them while he killed her then this man was in love with the blonde as well. Leila caught on as well and refused.

"No." she said.

"No?" he repeated, slightly annoyed. She continued to stare, afraid to blink, as the knife left her face and traveled up her arm. "Alright then." He grabbed her arms and brought them to her sides, kneeling on her left one so she couldn't use it against him, and extending her right out next to her. "Let's see how well you can swim with one arm." Without ceremony, he swung the knife downwards, the edge penetrating right below her knuckle. Leila screamed a blood-curling scream as the pain shot up her arm and flooded throughout her body. She felt the blood leaking out of her hand and pool around her arm as he released the hilt. The knife remained where he left it, stuck into the ground from the force of the blow. Jeremy got off of her and wiped his hands on his pants, staining them red with the girl's blood. Leila ignored the pain in her ribs and rolled over, trying to cradle her injured hand in vain. Tears streamed down her face as the pain continued to make its way through every vein in her body. Without a word, Jeremy strode over to the laptop and the last thing the team saw was a wicked smile making its way across the man's lips.

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That whole multiple personality thing was NOT in the schedule and I have no idea where it came from. I hope it works & I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! As the title says, this is the beginning of the end and I'm sorry to say we're more than halfway done with the story. It's going to hurt to press the complete button but there will DEFINITELY be a sequel! Please drop a review and let me know what you think!


	24. Chapter 24

Phew, this took a while to put together. Enjoy!

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**Chapter XXIV Finally**

Before anyone could register what they had seen, a yellow blur sped past the group of profilers and out the door.

"Follow her!" Hotch cried out, afraid to leave the blonde alone for more than a minute. Without a word, Emily sped after her best friend. An uneasy silence swept over the room as each member contemplated their next move. Minutes had passed before someone worked up the nerve to speak.

"We have to find him." Reid mumbled.

"Great idea Reid. Why don't you tell us how to do that?" Morgan scoffed sarcastically earning himself a glare from his boss. Instead of replying, the youngest of the group sat down and placed his head in his hands, rubbing his temples. By now every member of the team had been pushed beyond their physical and emotional limits. Running on no sleep for the past 2 days and dealing with one of the hardest and most personal cases ever wasn't helping either.

"I've said it before but I'll say it again: I know we're all…beyond exhausted, but this has gone on long enough. Parrilla's gone out of his way to make this the most difficult and tiring case we've had in a while. He knew our schedule. He's been one step ahead of us since before the game even started and I, for one, am sick of it. No one hurts our family and gets away with it." Hotch frowned and picked up his cell phone dialing Garcia. He didn't have to wait more than two rings.

"What happened?" she asked, all sense of kidding aside.

"Jeremy Parrilla. Find him Garcia. Now." Hotch ordered.

"Parrilla? Isn't he-"

"Yes and he's also a psychopath with multiple personalities. We don't have time Garcia. He's going to kill her in a matter of minutes." Hotch informed the techie and could immediately hear her typing away at the speed of light.

"On the dirtbag's business more than a fly on a spider. Over and out." Garcia hung up leaving the team to await the return of their female coworkers. Each took a seat and slouched, allowing their exhaustion to overwhelm them for just a second.

"JJ!" Emily called after the blonde as she weaved through people and desks making her way towards the closest exit. Finding a door, she opened it and stumbled into the afternoon light. She paced back and forth in the alley parallel to the precinct and heard Emily's footsteps rapidly approaching. Before she could turn and acknowledge the brunette's presence, JJ bent over and emptied the contents of her practically empty stomach between trash cans. Emily's hand found her back and pulled the golden hair out of her face. Her hand made soothing circles on the other woman's back and waited for the heaving to stop. Once it did, she led the blonde away from the area and waited. JJ leaned against the side of the precinct building and hung her head. She pressed a hand to her mouth to hold back another wave of nausea as more images of the knife protruding out of her sister's hand flooded her brain.

"How did I not see?" she mumbled mostly to herself. "First my mom's pregnancy, then the adoption; now the stalking, the delusional psychopath with a crush on me rivaling OJ Simpson. Am I really that blind Em?" JJ raised her head and caught the brunette's gaze. Emily's heart broke at the pain in JJ's beautiful blue eyes. Without waiting for a reply, JJ knocked her own head against the wall behind her several times before Emily placed her hands on the back of the woman's head, softening each blow. JJ's knees suddenly gave out and Emily almost dropped her as she allowed herself to fall to the filth ground. For a moment Emily just held the blonde by the shoulders, holding her upright, while she cried. A few tears made their way down Emily's cheeks as well. Seeing her best friend in so much agony caused her a fair amount of pain as well. The two didn't know how long they sat there but before long, the hairs on the back of Emily's neck stood at attention. Without releasing JJ, the woman scanned the alleyway and quickly took note of a black van at the southern entrance of the alley. Its headlights were on and trained on the two female agents. Shaking JJ slightly, Emily's hand went to her hip. The blonde didn't seem to notice or didn't care to, so Emily spoke up.

"Jay, get inside. Now." At the urgency in Emily's tone, JJ snapped out of her trance and followed the brunette's gaze. Catching sight of the van, she shot up, her own hand going to her holster. Emily's free hand reached out to stop her just as the blonde tried to rush towards the van. Struggling to hold JJ back, Emily had no choice but to retreat towards the door they had come from. Instead of taking out her gun and aiming where she knew the driver's head would be, she reached for her credentials and flashed them. Instantly, the van took off as Emily was still trying to usher JJ inside.

"What are you doing?! That could be him!" JJ screamed at the woman restraining her. "Emily, get off!" After pinning JJ against the door with both hands, Emily tried to speak to the woman.

"No, JJ. That wasn't him. I promise you, it wasn't him." Emily noticed the frantic look in her friend's eyes as she tried to understand what was being said. "I swear it wasn't him. We'll get him Jennifer. You have to believe that." At her words the blonde stopped trying to push her off and Emily released her hold on the woman.

"I'm sorry." She said, hanging her head.

"Don't be." Emily smiled at her hoping to gain one in return. When she didn't, Emily reached over and opened the door leading into the precinct. "Let's go find this asshole." Without a word, JJ led the way back towards the bullpen ignoring the looks she received from several police officers. The two women reentered the conference room and Emily exchanged disgruntled looks with the rest of her team and Knox. No one asked JJ if she was okay; they all knew the answer. Instead they sat together in silence and waited for the phone to ring. Agonizingly slow minutes passed by and everyone in the room grew increasingly agitated with the wait. They all knew what was likely happening to Leila this very minute. The more time it took Garcia to locate Parrilla, the more time he had to kill her and dispose of the body. Or maybe he wouldn't even bother to hide it. Maybe he wants them to find her, broken, mangled and in pieces. That is what he promised, isn't it? Before any more haunting thoughts could enter the minds of the agents, Hotch's cell phone rang. The phone was answered and put on speaker within a millisecond.

"What've you got Garcia?" he asked the woman. She took a breath as if she had a lot to inform them on.

"Jeremy Parrilla, age 36, previously known as Darren Yule. He changed his name in 2002 after his wife of two years filed a restraining order against him as well as a divorce and before you ask, yes she was blonde. She told police that not only did he hit her on several occasions but the psychological abuse he wrought was just as bad. After becoming Jeremy Parrilla, he applied for several jobs within the Bureau, getting denied each time. Personnel files indicate he had a, and I quote, 'disturbing nature about him that seemed to unsettle those around him'. Finally, after three years of unsuccessful applications to become a profiler, special agent, and communications liaison, Parrilla applied for the position of the BAU's pilot having had a pilot's license he obtaining in college along with his ROTC training." Garcia stopped to take a deep breath and wait for questions.

"Addresses, Baby Girl. We need to know where he could be keeping Leila." Morgan urged.

"That's the thing, I've looked everywhere for an address in Jersey for this creepy McCreepster and nothing comes up. The only thing he owns besides a pretty sweet ride is a flat in DC." Garcia said, knowing this was not what the profilers wanted to hear.

"That's not possible." JJ said quietly. "He has to have her somewhere isolated; somewhere he knows no one will disturb him."

"I'm sorry Sunshine, there's nothing with his name on it." Garcia repeated sadly.

_His_ name. JJ thought back to a previous conversation she had had with the man.

_"The funeral's this Wednesday." Jeremy told her, sadness evident in his eyes. JJ placed her hand on the man's shoulder, trying to offer some comfort. _

_ "I'm really sorry Jeremy. It must be hard losing both of them at the same time." She said compassionately. He nodded. _

_ "Yea, my folks went everywhere together. I guess that's what happens when you're in love." He glanced at the woman in front of him and was briefly caught in the radiance of the small smile she gave him. _

_ "I guess so. At least you know they're together now too." JJ told him quietly, hearing the rest of the team boarding the plane. Either JJ or Hotch were usually the first ones aboard and when JJ managed to beat her boss there, she enjoyed the talks she had with the pilot. _

_ "They left me their house in Jersey. It's pretty banged up. I'm thinking of taking some time to fix it up. Ya know, for them." Jeremy shrugged. _

_ "That's a great idea Jeremy." JJ squeezed his shoulder with another smile as she made her way to join the team. Unbeknownst to her, she had just given him time to build what would soon be her sister's prison._

"His parents. They died about a year ago. They gave their house in Jersey to him." JJ said almost robotically.

"How do you know that?" Reid asked the blonde. She avoided his gaze as she said,

"He used to tell me things…private things." JJ admitted, ashamed to look at her friends.

"JJ." Morgan approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You couldn't have known. He spent years perfecting his persona. We all saw him everyday too and no one suspected a thing. Stop beating yourself up." JJ didn't reply and the only sound in the room was Garcia's wild typing as she searched for the address.

"Got it!" she shouted making the group jump. "Sent to your PDAs. Guys," she caught their attention before Hotch could hang up on her. "bring our mini Jareau home." Without another word, Hotch shut his phone off and turned to Knox.

"We need everyone from your division on this; a minimum of five squad cars and call an ambulance ahead of time. Make sure they come in _quietly_. He can't afford to spook him." Hotch turned to leave and stopped in his tracks as he thought of something else. "Actually, better make that two ambulances." At the mention of an ambulance for Parrilla, JJ almost scoffed out loud but didn't knowing that Hotch would force her to stay behind if he so much as suspected what she planned on doing. It didn't matter anyway; that bastard was leaving here in a body bag. JJ would make sure of that.

* * *

Oh Goddd, I'm so excited! Are you?


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter XXV I'm Coming**

Morgan, Rossi and Reid quickly piled into one SUV after picking up their Kevlar and sped towards 55 Hale Street in Newark New Jersey. JJ took the passenger seat, knowing that Hotch wouldn't let her drive, and waited for her boss, Emily and Knox to join her. Taking advantage of the seconds she had alone, she pressed a hand to her forehead and willed the exhaustion away. She needed to be as vigilant as possible if she wanted to save her sister. _I have a sister again_, the thought ran through JJ's mind for the hundredth time since this had begun before she could stop it. Tears filled her eyes once again and annoyed at herself, JJ shut them tight and waited for the memory of the past to fade once again. Thinking of Andrea would only distract her and JJ didn't need the added emotional turmoil at the moment. The car doors opened and the remainder of her team piled in. Hotch glanced at her for only a moment before speaking.

"Here." He pulled out a granola bar and a bottle of water and handed it to the blonde. She shook her head, the thought of food making her stomach flip. "If you want to come, you have to eat something." Annoyed, she took the bar and water, making a show of unwrapping and nibbling on it. Satisfied, Hotch put the car in 'drive' and hurried after Rossi, Morgan and Reid. The next fifteen minutes passed in silence and by the time they arrived at the house, JJ had finished her water and half of the bar. Emily and Knox rushed out of the SUV leaving JJ and Hotch alone. Her nerves were on end and being a profiler, Hotch could easily notice her agitation. Of course, he didn't blame her; he just worried.

"I'd ask you to stay in the car-"

"But you know what I'd say to that." She interrupted, knowing it wasn't the smartest idea. "Unless you plan on cuffing me to the door, I'm going in." Hotch continued to stare at her as if his signature glare could break her resolve. She was stubborn, he knew that, but so was he. "What if it was Sean?" At the mention of his brother, Hotch knew he would lose.

"I know you have to go JJ. I just have a bad feeling about it. I don't want you to get hurt." he confessed. The words sounded foreign leaving Aaron Hotchner's lips and JJ was taken aback by his concern. Her features softened immediately.

"I appreciate the concern Aaron, but I have to do this. I'm the only one who can save her and you know it." She insisted quickly. The more time they wasted discussing, the more time Jeremy had to kill Leila. Reluctantly, Hotch nodded and opened the door to get out but not before handing a bulletproof vest to the blonde. She smiled as best she could and stepped out into the night. Strapping their vests on, the two approached the group that had assembled a block away from the house. Hotch saw that the paramedics had arrived and felt relieved that they were close by.

"We go in quietly. Leila Ryan is the only friendly in the building. Getting her out is priority. She's badly injured and will require immediate medical attention." Hotch informed the officers and EMTs.

"Why don't we just snipe the bastard?" one uniform asked.

"He's underground." Morgan replied.

"What I don't understand is why we gotta go in all quiet." Another complained.

"Scaring him could result in Leila's death." Emily rolled her eyes, knowing that no one could see them in the darkness. Wasting time answering stupid questions would get Leila killed.

"How do you know that?" the same man asked. "He don't wanna die in jail, so why kill her?"

"The more time we waste arguing over this, the less time we have to help Leila." Aaron replied sharply.

"Just do what they say." Knox pressured his men earning himself several glares.

"Why? What makes them smarter than us?" A blonde-haired cop asked from the back.

"I invited them here and they clearly know what they're talking about." Knox defended the profilers.

"They don't know shit. Look at how long it took them to figure out who this guy was. Girl's probably already dead." The blonde said. JJ stiffened as if ready to attack the man. The only reason she didn't was because Emily stepped in front of her, blocking her view of the loud-mouthed uniform.

"Shut it Brennan." Knox shot back. "You do what they say and everyone gets to go home."

"What makes you think she's still alive?" one asked.

"He won't kill her without an audience." Rossi informed the men. "Now if it's alright with you-"

"There's no way you could know that! You're risking everyone's lives based on what; a pseudo-science? Give me a break." The blonde scoffed. Suddenly, a dozen officers were arguing back and forth, some defending the BAU while others stated they didn't belong in their affairs to begin with. The yelling gave JJ an even bigger headache and she backed away from the group. Soon enough, the team entered the 'discussion', trying to pressure the cops to keep their voices down. A thought occurred to JJ as she realized she had escaped unnoticed. Cautiously looking around, she saw that no one was looking her way and if she took a few more steps backwards, the darkness of the sidewalk would consume her entirely. Turning quickly, JJ sped away from the group and towards the house. _The vest,_ she thought. If she wanted to convince Jeremy she was on his side, it wouldn't do to be wearing her Kevlar when she approached him. Stopping by the SUV, she undid the Velcro as quietly as she could, threw the vest on the hood of the car and resumed her race to the house. Clearly, no one was going to help her save her sister; she would have to do it on her own. 

"I'm coming Leila." JJ whispered to herself and hoped that the teenager could hold on for just a little longer.

* * *

_I'm here again  
A thousand miles away from you  
A broken mess, just scattered pieces of who I am  
I tried so hard  
Thought I could do this on my own  
I've lost so much along the way_

Leila couldn't help but remember the song; the song that reminded her so much of the day she had almost killed Jackson, the only person who had stuck with her throughout everything she had gone through. Thought of him had plagued her mind since the moment she woke up in this pit. Even after she had attacked him, he refused to leave her, refused to hate her for nearly ending his life. More tears streaked down her face as she told herself she would never see him again.

_Then I see your face  
I know I'm finally yours  
I find everything I thought I lost before  
You call my name  
I come to you in pieces  
So you can make me whole_

She whimpered as she used the last of her energy to grasp the handle of the knife still embedded into her hand. Clenching her teeth, Leila pulled upwards, sending another wave of pain up her arm and throughout her already damaged body. She couldn't help but cry out when the hilt moved slightly and the tip edged out of her skin. Immediately regretting drawing attention to herself, Leila curled up into a ball and rocked herself back and forth.

_I've come undone  
But you make sense of who I am  
Like puzzle pieces in your hand,_

_This is what I deserve,_ she kept telling herself. _This is what I deserve for killing the only people who ever treated me like I belonged._ The thought festered and grew in her mind until the memory of her past overwhelmed her. _No one is coming. No one is coming because no one should want to save me._ Surprisingly, the idea of dying that very moment didn't scare her in the slightest. In fact, she welcomed death's embrace and waited for it to come for her. Surely, it would be just a matter of minutes until the man, Jeremy, came back to finish her off. _No one is coming._ As if on cue, Leila heard footsteps above her. The ceiling creaked with age and she knew he was coming for her. An eerie calm settled around her as she heard the door at the top of the stairs open, more footsteps, then another door open and she knew he was standing right above her. Her vision was blurry and unreliable but she could make out his outline as he reached down and whispered something in her ear. What it was, she didn't know, she didn't care, but he lifted her to her feet.

_Then I see your face  
I know I'm finally yours  
I find everything I thought I lost before  
You call my name  
I come to you in pieces  
So you can make me whole!_

No one is coming.

* * *

The song is Pieces by RED & highly recommended.


	26. Chapter 26

So I was really discouraged by the lack of reviews the previous 3 chapters got but I couldn't resist posting this for you guys as soon as it was finished. I hope you're still with me as we're nearly the end of this woeful tale!

* * *

**Chapter XXVI New Nightmares**

The arguing continued as if the group of cops had nothing else better to do. No one had noticed the departure of a certain fair-haired profiler and the BAU rocked anxiously on their heels as they waited for the clamor to die down.

"This is ridiculous!" Emily yelled, loud enough for several officers to turn and glare at her.

"While they argue, Leila could be getting tortured for all we know." Morgan cried angrily.

"We've tried explaining to them. The only thing left to do besides go in on our-"

"Where's Agent Jareau?" Knox cried, catching everyone's attention simultaneously. Frantically, the BAU scanned the area searching for their blonde companion.

"Damn it!" Morgan shouted causing a few cops to jump. "We've wasted our time listening to their bullshit and now JJ's gone after him _alone!_"

"Agent Morgan's right. Anyone that has a problem with the plan can stay behind." Rossi called out to the group. "Let's go." He said to his team and each member took off wordlessly.

"If anything happens to that woman, you'll all have hell to pay." Knox spat at his subordinates and raced away, catching up to the profilers.

Standing at the back entrance to the house, JJ took a moment to compose herself. The door was open. Clearly, Jeremy didn't have reservations about his 'genius plan'. She held back a scoff and removed her Glock from its holster. It would only be a matter of minutes before someone noticed she had slipped away and JJ knew she had to be inside before that. Turning the knob, she entered the dark house and spun, observing her surroundings. Thankfully, she remembered to keep her flashlight. The lack of lighting might prove to be of service. Parrilla was not interested in keeping this place kept, she thought as she saw piles of dirty dishes and cobwebs forming everywhere. Ignoring the stench, JJ quickly made her way up the stairs and cleared every room. She had to stop herself from calling 'clear!' every time she discovered a room was empty. She wasn't used to doing things like this on her own; she wasn't brave, she didn't go on suicide missions, she wasn't Emily. Banishing the thought immediately, JJ made her way down the two flights of stairs, bracing herself for what she would find. Slowly, she opened a door and revealed five steps leading into the basement and a door beyond the narrow hallway. Inhaling deeply, JJ adjusted her grip on the gun and turned off her flashlight. It wouldn't do to ruin the surprise. The door was slightly open, revealing a dim light and a shadow that engulfed the hallway, giving it a very horror-movie-like persona.

"Help us Andrea. Please." She whispered to herself and slowly advanced forward. JJ heard a voice, Parrilla, and almost stopped in her tracks. _So this is what it feels like to have your own personal Boogie Man,_ she thought. _Suck it up, Jareau._ JJ grasped the handle of the metal door and yanked it open; raising her gun towards where she presumed Parrilla would be standing. The sight that greeted her was anything but comforting. She had predicted Jeremy's position perfectly but what she didn't anticipate is that he knew she was coming. The man had a snake-like grip around Leila's torso, pinning her to his front. The edges of his mouth curled upwards as he saw JJ's eyes travel to the taser he had trained on the teenager's neck, ready to administer a deadly amount of voltage at the mere glimpse of trouble.

"I knew you were lying." He snarled, tightening his already painful grip on the girl's body. Leila winced but almost failed to register the pain as she took in the blonde standing in front of her. _Someone came. _

"No, Jeremy, I wasn't. I just need Leila to be safe." JJ cooed. "I'm sure you understand. You were always a lot smarter than anyone gave you credit for." A compliment such as that from the object of his obsession seemed to shock the man.

"You really think I'm smart?" he asked, the taser falling slightly to rest on the crook of Leila's neck.

"Of course I do. Who else could do all of this," she motioned to the room around them, "and avoid our detection for so long?"

"You didn't bring them." Jeremy said almost robotically.

"I promised you I wouldn't. Even thought you didn't manage to fulfill the promise I asked of you." JJ feigned a hurt expression as if the man's lack of loyalty bothered her.

"I didn't want them." he said calmly.

"Well it's just us now so why don't you let her go?" JJ lowered her gun slightly. "We can go away together. Where do you want to go? Hawaii? Fiji? Paris?" Noticing the unconvinced look on his face, JJ continued. "Trust me, I want nothing more than to get away from them. You know what's like to be smothered by people who think they're better than you…who always think they know best. It's insatiable! Please, Jeremy, take me away from here."

"No, no. Don't cry." He begged her even though she was nowhere near doing so. "We can go. Just let me…handle this." he motioned to Leila. The girl's eyes widened and pleaded with JJ. Momentarily panicking, JJ placed her gun on the floor, kicked it away and slowly approached the man.

"You don't need to waste your time." She raised her arms as a sign of good faith. "They won't stop looking for us if you kill her. Let's just go." JJ smiled at the man and for a second, she thought it had worked. She realized just how wrong she was a little too late. Jeremy jumped back, dragging Leila with him, and frowned at JJ.

"Liar!" he shouted, causing the girl in his arms to flinch. "I have to kill her. I have to."

"No, Jeremy, you don't." JJ pleaded but the man barely heard her. He was too busy laughing. Leila's breathing turned into hyperventilating as she felt the taser being pressed back into her neck. She shut her eyes tightly, waiting for the electric current that would surely kill her. Instead, Jeremy whispered in her ear.

"That's the best she could do?" he teased her. "Your own family didn't even try hard enough to save you. How sad." Confused, Leila grew slack in his arms and continued to stare at the blonde. She had the bluest eyes and they calmed her greatly. She barely noticed the tear that streaked down her face as she finally put the pieces together. _My family._ Seeing the realization dawn upon the girl, JJ took a step forward as if to confirm her thoughts. "At least you get to die knowing she tried." As he completed his sentence, the sound of footfalls echoed above them. Leila took advantage of the distraction and reacted, pushing herself backwards until Jeremy's body slammed against the wall behind them. JJ sprang into action, diving for her weapon. Unfortunately, Leila wasn't strong enough to hold Jeremy against the wall long enough and he made it to the weapon before her. Grasping it firmly, he pointed it at JJ's face and the blonde froze. She stared, wide-eyed at him and knew that he couldn't do it. Before she could move, Jeremy turned and trained the gun on Leila. Freezing just as quickly as her sister did, Leila could do nothing to stop his advance. Jeremy picked up the taser he had dropped and continued to walk towards the girl. Leila continued to back herself into the wall until she couldn't move anymore. Instead of crying or begging for her life, she simply stared at the woman behind him; her sister, her only real family. She had come for her and that was all that mattered. The taser made an unforgettable buzzing noise as Jeremy upped the voltage.

"Jeremy, please!" JJ begged but her feet remained rooted to the ground. Any sudden movement on her part and the gun in his hands would go off, most likely hitting Leila. Either way, she was going to get hurt. JJ didn't know what the girl preferred; death by electric shock or death by gunshot wound. A thought sparked and JJ place one knee to the ground. To anyone else, it looked as if she was continuing her begging on her knees while in reality, JJ was hiking up her pant leg so she could reach the small caliber hidden in her ankle holster. Jeremy barely turned, still waiting to hear the blonde beg for her sister's life…not like it would make a difference. She was dead the moment he decided to kill her.

"Just put it down, Jeremy. I'm begging you." JJ was surprised at how calm her voice managed to sound when her mind was running at lightning speed. If ever there was time she would need her team, it'd be now. Their footsteps had disappeared almost completely, telling the trio in the basement that they were still clearing the upstairs. _Hurry up guys._ Jeremy turned slightly and JJ hastily stopped fidgeting with her pant leg to avoid detection. Instead of a response, the man's lips merely curled upwards in what could not be referred to as a smile. Lunging forward, he tackled the teenager and brought the taser to her neck. Leila screamed and writhed underneath him, Jeremy chuckled, and JJ tried her best to ignore the smell of her sister's burning flesh as she raised the .44 in front of her.

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

"Clear!" Emily, Rossi, Morgan, Reid, Hotch and Knox called out to the others as they cleared the upstairs and regrouped by the staircase.

"They're in the basement." Knox voiced what the BAU already knew. Unfortunately they had to waste time checking the upstairs as a safety precaution. Without another word, the six cautiously made their way towards the door leading to the bunker. Rossi went first, placing a hand on the knob and waiting for instruction. Hotch nodded and the Italian shoved the door open. Emily, who was right behind her boss, noticed the stairs and reached out to grab the man's collar before he tumbled down them. He turned and nodded to her, a silent 'thank you', and quietly took the first step. It creaked, causing the profilers to cringe and pause to wait and see if they had been discovered. Instead of an ambush, they were greeted with the sounds of a nightmarish scream and two shots ringing out.

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hg, God, I'm not even sorry :P


	27. Chapter 27

Sorry for the delay, my wifi is unpredictable. Hope you're still with me, everything's winding down now!

* * *

**Chapter XXVII Oblivion**

Momentarily frozen by the sound of gunshots and the prospect of their friend being hurt, the BAU froze. Taking the initiative, Knox wove his way through the agents and yanked the door open.

"Get the medics in here now!" Knox shouted into his earpiece. At the sound of his panicked voice, the team ran inside and nearly dropped to their knees at the sight that greeted them. "She's been shot!"

"After him!" Hotch shouted, snapping his team out of their trance. At his command, the men of the BAU focused on where Parrilla had escaped from: a doorway disguised as a wall had been left open during the unsub's rapid escape. Trying hard not to look at the ground, they sped after Parrilla, their eyes glazed and dark. Emily stayed behind and made her way next to Knox. Kneeling by his side, she did her best to avoid lying in the pool of blood that was forming underneath the woman.

"JJ," she sighed, "what have you done?" Emily eased a mass of blonde hair aside and continued to stare into her blue eyes. Knox maneuvered his hands over the wound and pressed down hard enough to make the blonde gasp. Emily grabbed her hand and squeezed as hard as she could, the tears forming in her eyes practically blinding her. JJ's head lolled to the side and her eyesight focused on something behind her brunette friend. Blood continued to pour from the wound inches away from her bellybutton as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Leila." She croaked, releasing Emily's hand and gesturing towards the other body that occupied the room. Emily was ashamed to admit that she had temporarily forgotten about the girl and turned to give her the attention she needed. As soon as she had turned her back to her friend, she heard JJ begin to cough and resisted the urge to turn around. Instead she half-crawled towards the unconscious girl and flinched at seeing her up close. Her jet black hair was wet with blood from the wound she had received hours, no days, ago. The Under Armor had hiked up the girl's torso, giving Emily an uncensored view of her black and blue ribcage. Just by first glance, Emily could tell that at least 3 ribs had been shattered, the blood forming around her nostrils indicated a broken nose, and Emily refused to look at the girl's right hand. Unfortunately, the injury that threatened Leila's life was something Emily couldn't help with. The electric shock she had received over the period of her stay would likely be fatal. Risking a glance at JJ and seeing the pleading look she was throwing her way, Emily decided to at least pretend like she could help. She checked the girl's pulse and luckily, found a light but existent beat. Not knowing what else to do, Emily cradled the girl in her arms and rocked her.

"Come on Leila. You have to be okay. For JJ, you have to be okay." She whispered into the girl's ear. As JJ was thrown into another coughing fit, Emily looked over at her friend and shuddered at the sight. She was fighting Knox, trying to push his hands away from her, as she struggled to cough up the blood that rose in her throat.

"Help's coming. You're going to be okay." She heard Knox tell her friend. Emily shut her eyes tightly, trying to force back the thoughts that threatened to consume her. _No, no, not JJ. Please not JJ. Not here. Not like this._ Suddenly, Leila flinched in her arms and Emily frantically adjusted herself so she could see her better.

"Leila? Wake up. Please wake up." She begged the girl. Maybe seeing one another would help the sisters survive. Her eyelids fluttered and opened slightly, gazing up into Emily's eyes. Brown met blue and Emily couldn't help but release a few tears at seeing JJ's carbon copy in person. "My name's Emily and we're here to help you. You're going to be okay." Leila blinked and turned her head slightly. Seeing JJ on the ground, bleeding through a gunshot wound that was meant for her caused the teenager to squirm in the agent's arms. "You have to stay still, Leila. Help is on the way." JJ couldn't help but smile at her sister as the two of them lay dying. Slowly, she extended her arm out and grasped the girl's uninjured hand in her own and squeezed. JJ received one final smile before Leila's hand went limp in her own. "Damn it, Leila!" Emily eased the girl's head on the ground as she checked for a pulse again. Finding nothing but silence, Emily knelt by her side and pressed her hands to girl's chest. Her body shuddered each time Emily's hands forced her lungs to work. After forty thrusts, Emily placed her mouth over the girl's and breathed twice. She performed CPR for ten minutes straight until the EMT's arrived and practically dragged her away from the teen. Emily ran a hand through her hair as she watched two work on Leila and barely noticed Knox approaching her. He too, had been cast aside as the others worked on keeping JJ awake. He was about to reach out and touch Emily until he realized that his hands were soaked with her best friend's blood. Instead he stood by her and watched as the EMTs worked furiously at strapping the sisters onto slabs and carry them out. Determined not to leave either alone for a second, Emily hopped into the back of one ambulance with Leila. Before the doors closed she caught a glimpse of Hotch and the rest of her team returning. Her boss said something to the the detective and hurried to get a spot next to JJ in the ambulance.

* * *

"What happened?" a buff EMT asked Emily, shaking her shoulder slightly.

"She's been electrocuted…multiple times. Broken ribs and nose. Possible concussion…and her-her hand." Emily replied mechanically.

"I need 100 cc's of morphine and call it in early. She's going to need surgery." He told his coworkers. Emily refused to tear her gaze away from the girl's face. God, she looked so much like JJ. JJ, who lay dying in an ambulance a few feet away. JJ, the first best friend Emily ever had. JJ, the woman who had all but saved her life while she was in hiding. JJ, who had a husband of less than 5 months and a 5 year old son. JJ, the team's rock and mother figure. _She was dying. _Emily took Leila's hand in her own and brought it to her forehead. Not caring who could see, the brunette agent released all the tears she had in her body as the sounds of sirens overwhelmed her.

* * *

"I'm…sorry." JJ mumbled as she felt Aaron take her hand in his.

"Don't be, JJ. You shot him. It's only a matter of time before he drops dead somewhere." Hotch said, praying his words would come to pass.

"Leila." She repeated for the tenth time since they had entered the vehicle.

"Emily's with her. You're both going to be okay." he pressed fighting back the tears that threatened to fall.

"Emily?" JJ asked.

"Yes, Emily's with Leila. You'll see her soon." Hotch promised. JJ' eyes shut tightly as another wave of pain ripped through her body. The blood hadn't stopped pouring out of her wound and the EMTs frantically worked to stop the flow.

"Hurts." She said as the medics added more gauze to the area. Hotch winced at seeing his friend in pain.

"I know, you just have to stay strong okay?"

"Henry." JJ whispered. "Tell him…sorry."

"You can tell him that yourself Jennifer. Will too. Just stay awake, do you hear me?"

"Take care…of them. Promise." JJ's eyes focused on his, piercing through his very soul just like they always did.

"Stay awake." He ordered, not wanting to make a promise he might be forced to keep. "Please, just look at me."

"Promise." JJ replied more forcefully than she should be able to. Hotch did his best to ignore what the EMTs were doing as they ripped JJ's shirt off, exposing her.

"I promise. Now you promise to fight. Don't let go Jennifer." He squeezed her hand again and she managed to smile at him. The blood that stained her mouth made the smile that much more frightening but regardless, he smiled back. She released his hand for a second and brought up a pinky. He nearly chuckled as he raised his own pinky and wrapped it around hers. Tears blurred his vision and Hotch didn't notice the haze that past over his agent's eyes as she slipped into oblivion.

* * *

Sooo, I'm clearly not medically proficient. Please don't judge haha


	28. Chapter 28

So for the past 2-3 chapters, I had this perfect vision in my head of how I wanted them to be & I really don't feel like I brought it up to par :\ Hopefully you guys disagree since it's your opinions that matter! Please let me know what you think if you have a second.

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**Chapter XXVIII Waiting**

"18 year old female; multiple fractured ribs, possible concussion, stab wound to the right hand and possible heart defections due to electric shock." The medic that rode in with Emily informed the ER doctor as Leila was carted through the hospital. She had coded once in the ambulance, giving Emily a minor heart attack, and now the brunette refused to leave the girl's side.

"What's her name?" the doctor, Avery the tag read, asked Emily.

"Leila. Leila Ryan." She replied quickly.

"Leila, can you hear me?" Dr. Avery asked the girl as she lifted her eyelids and flashed a flashlight across the girl's pupils. "Non-responsive. Get her a CT and MRI scan. We need to know what's going on in there. Ma'am?" She touched Emily's shoulder. "Are you her mother?"

"No, no." Emily stuttered as she watched Leila being wheeled away. "I'm an FBI agent. Doctor, someone needs to be with her at all times." She flashed her credentials for good measure.

"It's my job to stay with her Agent…"

"Prentiss, but you don't understand. I mean one of us. She's in danger." Emily rapidly told the doctor.

"Alright, but you can't come into the OR. You'll have to wait in the waiting room." Avery told her as she led her past the 'staff only' door.

"35 year old female: gunshot wound to the abdomen, rapid blood loss over the past thirty minutes." The EMT that had travelled with Hotch told next ER doctor.

"Get her into OR 3 and call JCPD." A tall, dark haired man ordered and proceeded to follow the group. Releasing JJ's hand, Hotch called out to the doctor.

"There's no need." He flashed his credentials. "This woman is one of my agents and I need to be with her at all times, is that understood?"

"There's no way I can allow you in the OR Agent, I'm sorry." The doctor replied not shying away from Hotch's best glare.

"Someone else must have arrived before us, a Leila Ryan. She's with us as well. An Agent Prentiss is with her. I expect to be constantly updated on their condition Doctor…"

"Kepner. I'll tell a nurse to keep you informed Agent…"

"Hotchner." Kepner nodded and lead Hotch into the restricted section of the hospital to await information JJ and Leila's conditions.

After what felt like hours later, Emily emerged from the viewing room of Leila's scans and reluctantly made her way to the waiting room. There, she found the entire team plus Detective Knox waiting for an update. At seeing her, they all shot out of their seats and slowly approached her.

"The concussion was minor, she has three broken ribs and they're taking her to surgery now." Emily told the group.

"Surgery?" Morgan asked.

"After the multiple electric shocks Leila received it's likely that her heart gave out, stopping the flow of blood to her body and brain. They'll probably perform an open heart surgery to repair the damaged arteries with-"

"Enough, Reid." Rossi waved a hand to stop the genius.

"Has anyone seen Hotch?" Emily asked them.

"Here." A voice called from behind them.

"What did they tell you?" Rossi was the first to ask.

"Nothing. They're taking her to surgery." Hotch explained. Silence surrounded the group as everyone dispersed. Reid and Knox sat in uncomfortable looking chairs, Rossi made his way to buy coffee for everyone and Hotch left to find a private spot to call Will, leaving Morgan and Emily alone for the first time in days.

"She wanted us to make up." Emily whispered and stared at the ground, slightly in shock at the entire situation. Morgan turned to face her and read the pain etched on his partner's face. Seeing a tear make its way down her face, he reached out and brushed it away.

"Hey, come on Princess. We both know JJ's gonna beat this." he lifted her chin and forced his best 'Morgan' smile. She shook her head in response.

"If either one of them doesn't-"

"Don't, Emily. We're going to fine. We're all going to be okay." Morgan promised her as she leaned towards him. He opened his arms and she allowed herself to fall into his warm embrace. Emily let out a silent sob and buried her face in the crook of his neck as he softly stroked her hair. After a few minutes, when all her tears had left her, she eased out of his arms and smiled shyly at him.

"Sorry." She mumbled, embarrassed.

"Don't be." He smiled back. "I'm going to let Pen know what's going on. God knows what laws she's breaking to find some information." Emily nodded and looked around aimlessly. "Oh and Em?" Morgan turned to face her again. "Talk to him." Emily was momentarily confused until Morgan shot her a wink and walked away. She sighed and made her way towards the weary looking detective.

"Manage to get it out?" she asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. Knox glanced up at her and sighed.

"Out of my hands, yea but my head…not so much." He admitted, rubbing his face. Emily took a seat next to the man and offered him a small smile.

"It'll get better." she promised.

"That's the first time I've…it's like I could feel her leave." Emily winced at the description, remembering that that was exactly how Morgan felt when he had found her after her fight with Doyle. Seeing her reaction, Knox flinched. "I'm sorry, she's your best friend, I shouldn't-"

"It's alright." Emily assured the flustered man. "Do I even want to ask if they found him?" Knox shook his head and frowned.

"We'll get him Emily. I promise."

"I believe you Chris." Emily tested the sound of the man's first name on her lips and didn't complete hate it. He smiled at her and said,

"We're going to be here for a while."

"Yes, we definitely are." She sighed and rubbed her eyes. Emily couldn't remember a time she had been more exhausted and she was sure the rest of the team felt the same. Although there would be no rest to be found until JJ and Leila were out of this place, Emily was sure she would pass out within minutes of closing her eyes no matter where she was.

"You should get some sleep." Chris told her. "All of you look beat. I'll wake you when we know something." Emily turned to see Reid already snoring in his chair across the room.

"Promise?" she asked him with a smile.

"Promise." Chris raised his hand and lifted a pinky. Emily chuckled at the childish behavior but lifted her own pinky in return and wrapped it around his. She leaned back, made herself as comfortable as one could in a hospital waiting room and closed her eyes. Her prediction had come true: within seconds, Emily allowed herself to fall into a fitful, unsatisfying sleep. The only consolation she would have was that she had fallen asleep with Chris' hand resting on top of hers.

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Just like to put this out there: my original ships when I started watching CM were Jotch and Demily but then I moved on to Jill & Homily & that is how I shall remain (no matter how much CBS hates me). As you can tell, I didn't want to make an inter-team relation as I think that would complicate the story even more. I also like creating and building my own characters and seeing how the characters we already know and love react with a new one.


	29. Chapter 29

I've had these next 6 or 7 chapters ready for a long time, I was just waiting for at least one review on the previous one. Unfortunately, I didn't get it but wanted to give you guys more regardless :( Remember guys: happy author = faster updates. Either way I hope you enjoy!

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**Chapter XVIV Family **

When Morgan, Hotch and Rossi returned, they couldn't help but smile at the scene in front of them. Not only was Boy Wonder falling out of his chair and drooling, but the mighty Emily Prentiss had allowed herself to fall asleep on someone's shoulder; and not just any someone but Detective Knox's. Their hands had remained entwined even in sleep and rested in the small space between them. Gulping down the coffee, Morgan quickly filled the two in on Penelope's threats against the team if two hours went by without a phone call and Hotch told them that Will and Henry were on the first flight out with JJ's parents.

"Are you sure that's a… good idea?" Morgan asked his boss. Hotch shrugged.

"Their family matters aren't our business. Their daughter's been shot and they want to see her. Whether or not they are…aware of Leila's situation, I don't know." He explained. Minutes went by without speaking and soon enough, the three men found their eyes dropping and their heads falling backwards. One by one they succumbed to the gentle call of slumber.

Less than two hours later, Chris noticed Dr. Kepner walking towards the sleeping profilers. Before the man could speak, Knox gently shook Emily's shoulder and the woman's eyes shot open.

"Jennifer Jareau?" Kepner called out, awaking the remaining profilers. Emily was the first one out of her seat and approached the doctor hastily.

"What happened? How is she?"

"Are you all family?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Her husband, son and parents are on their way. We're her team." Hotch explained.

"Ms. Jar-"

"Agent." Six voices corrected the doctor and he nodded curtly.

"Agent Jareau is going to be fine." A collective sigh escaped the lips of every member of the group as half the weight they were feeling was lifted off their shoulders. "Her surgery went smoothly. She's sleeping now but should be awake by tomorrow afternoon." Afternoon? The profilers had completely lost all sense of time.

"May we see her?" Emily asked.

"I can have a bed sent in." Kepner said. "But just one. We don't want to overwhelm her." The group nodded and turned to each other as if determining who would get to stay with JJ.

"Doctor." Hotch called out and the man turned on his heels. "Is there any way we can combine Agent Jareau's room with Leila Ryan?"

"I'm not familiar with her case."

"She's the girl who came in with me." Emily explained. "They've been performing heart surgery."

"Ah, yes." Clearly, the entire hospital had been made aware of the alarming nature of the case. "I'll speak with Dr. Avery as soon as she gets out of surgery but I don't see why not. I assume there will be someone posted at their door?"

"I've already made the arrangements." Knox announced. "JCPD will have two officers standing watch until they're ready to head home." Kepner nodded and went in search of Dr. Avery.

"Thank you." Morgan told the man. Knox just shook his head.

"Don't thank me. If it wasn't for my guys' insubordination we would've gotten there soon and none of this would have happened."

"That's not your fault." Emily said softly. The men of the BAU were shocked at the tenderness in their teammate's voice but brought no attention to it. Knox shrugged, obviously not convinced and walked back to his seat. Emily turned to Hotch. "I'd like to stay with her."

"Alright. I'm guessing Knox will want to stay as well." Hotch said and Emily blushed slightly. "When they put Leila in the same room, ask them to bring a cot in for him as well." Emily nodded.

"I'll let you know as soon as she's out." She promised. "Go get some sleep." Reid, Rossi, Morgan and Hotch slowly made their way to the exit and the hotel. Emily turned and approached the disheveled detective once again.

"Come on." She told him.

"But they said only one person could stay." He frowned.

"I'm an FBI agent. Let they try and say no to me." Emily winked causing a smile to spread across the man's face. "Besides, once they bring Leila in I'm going to need someone there." Realizing what she had said, Emily blushed and quickly turned towards the direction of JJ's room leaving a beaming detective to follow.

Emily stood at the foot of JJ's bed and took in the sight of her best friend. The blonde was surrounded by wires and tubes and had never looked so fragile. The bed and blankets only made her look smaller and as Emily approached her, she couldn't hold back a sigh.

"Oh Jen." Emily managed before she felt a warm hand slip into hers. Squeezing, she continued to stare at the sleeping woman and took a seat beside her. She released Chris' hand only to replace it with JJ's refractory one. Emily reached over and stroked her face, pushed strands of hair away, and was shocked to feel how cold her skin was. JJ had turned at least three shades whiter and was beginning to match the décor that surrounded her. Emily couldn't help but remember when she had woken up in a hospital much like this one and had been told she was 'dead'. JJ and Hotch were the only ones who had been allowed to see her but their visits were brief…brief goodbyes. Emily tensed at the memory and brushed stray tears away.

"She's going to be alright. You heard the doctor." Chris whispered above her. Emily could only nod as she placed her head by JJ's side and closed her eyes. Sleep claimed her rather quickly again except this time the hand Emily was holding remained unmoving and cold. This time, there was no one to keep the nightmares that plagued her away.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter XXX Reunited**

"Agent? Agent Prentiss? Wake up." A voice roused Emily from her sleep just as quickly as she had entered it. Before opening her eyes, she placed a hand to her head, finally acknowledging the migraine she'd been sporting since yesterday morning. Pushing all thoughts of her pain aside, Emily opened her eyes and was met with the weary face of Dr. Avery. She shot out of her chair and stared wide-eyed at the doctor. To her right she could see Leila being wheeled in to the empty area next to JJ's bed.

"How is she?" she asked the woman groggily.

"There weren't any complications during the surgery."

"But…" Emily waited for the bad news she knew the doctor was withholding.

"We'll know more when she wakes up." Avery told her solemnly.

"And when will that be?"

"Could be minutes, could be days. Injuries such as these are never…predictable." Avery frowned. "May I ask what happened to them?"

"It's a long story Doctor." Emily rubbed her temples.

"Joan, please."

"Emily." She smiled at the woman.

"Has she woken up yet?" Joan motioned to the sleeping blonde. Emily shook her head. "Nothing to be concerned about." She strode over to the head of JJ's bed and picked up the chart, studying it. "Everything looks to be in order. She should be waking up soon."

"Thank you." Emily smiled kindly at her.

"Not a problem Emily." Joan extended her hand and Emily took it and shook. The woman and her nurses left and Emily was alone with three sleeping people. Pulling out her cell phone, she quickly worded a text to send to the team.

_Leila's out of surgery. JJ should be up soon. Any news on the Jareaus? _

_-EP_

Hotch was the first to respond, obviously already awake.

_Good. I'll get the team up. Will, Henry and JJ's parents should be here by afternoon. See you soon. _

_-AH_

Emily sighed and leaned back on the chair she had occupied for the entire night. She glanced at the clock: 6:44 AM. She didn't know what time they had arrived at the hospital or what time she had entered JJ's room but Emily presumed that she had gotten a solid 5-7 hours of sleep. She glanced over at Chris' sleeping form and couldn't help but smile. His mop of shining gold hair rivaled only the Jareau family's. _Well, not exactly all the Jareaus. _Emily glanced over at the sleeping teenager and willed herself to approach her. Emily pulled up a seat and plopped herself next to Leila, trying hard not to focus on the scar that traveled up the girl's chest and ended just above where her heart is. Emily had her own fair share of scars, some of which still made her uncomfortable, but she couldn't imagine being eighteen years old with a scar that was so plainly visible. Despite the situation, Emily smiled at the girl. She had made it, they both had and Emily couldn't be happier.

"You did great Leila. Now all you have to do is wake up and you can meet your family." she told the sleeping girl, hoping she could hear her. Movement caught Emily's eye and when she turned towards JJ, she saw that Chris was beginning to wake up. He yawned and slowly made his way towards her.

"Morning." He said quietly as if afraid of waking either woman up.

"Morning." Emily repeated. "The team's on their way back. JJ should be waking up any minute now."

"I heard her…their family was on their way over." He said and Emily nodded. "That'll be…interesting."

"To say the least." She chuckled. Part of her was afraid of the exchange that would go down between daughter and parents as she recalled the heated screaming match JJ had with her mother when the case broke.

"Did you sleep okay?" Chris placed a hand on Emily's shoulder.

"Not bad." She lied.

"Yea right." He scoffed causing her to chuckle.

"I don't think anyone's going to get a good night's sleep for a while." Chris couldn't help but agree. "I'm just relieved they're safe."

"Me too." He smiled down at her and she patted the hand that rested on her shoulder. The two simply stared at one another for what felt like a solid five minutes before a groan emitted from JJ's lips. Snapping out of their trance, the two hastily made their way to the blonde's side. Emily grasped JJ's hand in hers and waited for the woman's eyes to open. JJ's eyelids fluttered slightly as she adjusted to the bright room. Emily turned to Knox, about to ask him to close the blinds, but the man had already begun to do so. With the room darkened, JJ could open her eyes with much more ease. Too tired to raise her eyelids further, she gazed at the two standing over her through narrow slits.

"Hey." Emily said softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Like...I've been shot." The blonde murmured causing Emily and Chris to chuckle. "What happened?"

"We can talk about it later okay?" Emily assured her friend. JJ turned her head as she caught site of another bed in the room. "We're waiting for to wake up. Doctor said she's going to be okay."

"Where is he?" JJ managed to expel as Chris made his way to the hallway to fetch a nurse.

"He…he got away JJ." Emily frowned. "But don't worry, we're going to find him."

"No," JJ mumbled softly. "No you're not." The truth of JJ's statement hit Emily hard as she realized that the chances of finding Parrilla were fairly low.

"Agent Jareau." A pudgy nurse called out as she entered the room. "How are you feeling?" JJ shrugged and immediately regretted it. She winced and placed a hand to her abdomen, feeling the rough outline of the stitches. "Careful now, we don't want you ripping those open." The nurse proceeded to check JJ's chart and inject a clear serum into her IV. "Just a little something to help you get to sleep."

"I don't…want to…sleep." JJ protested weakly as her hand went to the IV on her wrist. Grasping it as firmly as she could manage, JJ tried to pull the tube out of her only to be stopped by Emily.

"JJ, stop. You're going to get better but you have to let them do their job." The brunette scolded.

"Like you're…any better." JJ frowned at her friend as the drugs started to take effect. Her eyes drooped slowly as she fought them. Emily chuckled.

"You don't want to take hospital advice from me Sunshine." Emily told her. "Will, Henry and your parents will be here by the time you wake up."

"Parents?" JJ asked, startled.

"It'll be fine JJ. Just sleep." Emily promised.

"M'kay." The blonde managed before her head dropped to the side and sleep consumed her. A knock on the door caused Emily to turn quickly, nerves still clearly on edge.

"She woke up?" Hotch stepped into the room, closely followed by the rest of the team. Emily nodded.

"Briefly. Now we're just waiting on Leila." Emily gestured to the other bed in the room.

"Did they say how long?" Morgan asked his partner.

"Minutes to days." Emily frowned as she repeated the vague answer she had been given.

"You should get some rest." Rossi told her. "Both of you."

"I'm not leaving-"

"Just go take a shower and get something to eat Prentiss." Hotch pressed. "We'll be here for her when she wakes up." Emily sighed, clearly outnumbered, and nodded. Just as she was collecting her things to leave, Dr. Kepner strolled in.

"Morning Agents. I've been told Jennifer here woke up?" he asked Emily and she nodded. "Well everything seems perfectly normal. She'll be groggy and tired for the next few days and obviously cannot return to field work until after she's completed at least 2 weeks of physical therapy. These are her prescriptions." Kepner feverishly wrote on a pad and seemed to have trouble deciding who to hand them to. Emily reached her hand out and took the pieces of paper.

"That's a lot of pills Doctor." She said.

"Besides antibiotics from the surgery, Jennifer has pain medication that should be taken at the slightest inkling of discomfort and also mandatory vitamins. She's highly dehydrated and malnourished." A shock expression passed around the room. "She wasn't with Ms. Ryan?"

"No, she was…with us." Reid told the doctor. The profilers wore a downcast look. JJ had been with them the entire time and they hadn't even noticed that she hadn't slept or eaten anything in over three days. Guilt plagued the group as the doctor took his leave. A silent moment hung in the air; no one knew what to say. Everyone simply stared at the sleeping blonde until Emily got up and left with Knox on her heels.

"At least 2 of us in this room at all times, understood?" Hotch told the remaining members of his team. Each nodded and Reid and Rossi took the seats previously occupied by Prentiss and Knox. Morgan and Hotch stepped outside and cast a look at each other.

"How did we miss that?" Morgan shook his head.

"We can't focus on that now. What matters is that she's alive, they both are." The Unit Chief pressed.

"Hotch, man…she almost died on us. _JJ._ It wasn't you or me or Emily this time. It was _JJ_."

"I understand Morgan. No one was able to predict this and it's even harder to believe that it could happen to someone like JJ. The only thing we can do now is wait and make sure to be there for her…them when they wake up." Hotch explained.

"What do you think she'll do?" Morgan asked.

"She'll continue with her life just as we all will."

"Not JJ, Leila. I mean, do you think she'll want anything to do with them?" Hotch hesitated. There was no way anyone could predict what the teenager's reaction would be after eighteen years of neglect.

"With JJ, yes. Leila knows what she went through to save her and she's just going to forget it."

"What about their parents?" Before Hotch could answer, he heard rapid footsteps approaching him and when he turned, saw the disgruntled face of Will LaMontagne rushing towards him.

"Agent Hotchner!" he cried, carrying a teary eyed Henry in his arms. "Where is she?" A man and a woman followed closely behind the detective and presumed them to be JJ's parents.

"Everything's fine, Will. She's going to be alright." He assured the man and started to lead him towards JJ's room. "Mr. & Mrs. Jareau." He acknowledged the blonde-haired couple. Will sprinted into the room, leaving the two to stand in the doorway.

"Momma!" Henry cried as soon as he saw his mother. JJ flinched at the noise but opened her eyes nonetheless. At seeing her husband and son, the woman's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Come here baby." She opened her arms and the toddler crawled into them.

"Careful Henry." Will warned from the foot of the bed. The five year old snuggled against his mother and accepted the kisses she planted all over his face and hair. "Jen." She glanced up, teary eyed, and watched as Will cautiously sat at the edge of her bed. Without ceremony, JJ launched herself into her husband's arms and buried her face into his shirt, inhaling his scent. "What were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Will." She cried as he stroked her hair and pressed her against him gently. Feeling like they were intruding, the BAU men silently left the room and closed the door behind them.

"Shh, it's alright." Will cooed. "I'm here JJ. We're all here."

"I don't know why I did it. I'm so sorry." She begged the man. He simply shook his head.

"I thought I'd lost you chere. Don't scare me like that again okay?" he asked and JJ nodded against his chest.

"Don't cry Momma." Henry made his way between his parents, intercepting their embrace. "Me and daddy fix it." The toddler shifted slightly and placed a kiss on his mother's lips which she returned.

"I missed you so much." JJ whispered into her son's ear as she stroked his golden locks.

"Momma, who that?" Henry wriggled out of her grasp and pointed towards Leila.

"That's momma's…friend buddy." Will explained. "Why don't you go with your uncles and find something to eat?"

"I wanna stay with Momma." Henry protested, clutching JJ's neck.

"Momma has to talk with Grandma and Grandpa, sweetheart. I'll wait here for you, okay?" JJ told the boy and he reluctantly, hopped off the bed, left the room and was warmly received by his 'uncles'. Once her son was gone, JJ finally decided to acknowledge her parents. Glancing over, she realized that the contempt she felt towards them hadn't dissipated.

"Jennifer," Sandy Jareau's voice cracked. "We're so sorry. None of this was supposed to happen."

"What was supposed to happen?" JJ challenged. "Were you just going to forget about her, pretend like she didn't exist?" Will placed a hand on his wife's shoulder.

"Jen-"

"No Will. They _abandoned_ her; dropped her off at a hospital like she was a dirty rag and now they expect that it'll all just go back to normal." The monitor evaluating JJ's heart rate sped up, the incessant beeping rapidly increasing. Will squeezed her hand in warning.

"We couldn't…not after Andrea." Her father, Robert, interjected. JJ scoffed.

"You think you were the only ones who were affected by what happened?!" JJ yelled at her father. "She was my _sister_ and she died because I couldn't see how much pain she was in." Neither Jareau objected, causing Will's loyalty to his in-laws to waver. Did they truly believe that JJ, who was eleven at the time of her sister's suicide, was at fault? Anger boiled in his veins but he capped a lid on it and allowed his wife to grill her parents. "You could've given me another chance…I could've gotten it right this time. But no! You gave her away and now you can't even look at her!" Sandy retreated into her husband's arms.

"Jen, please calm down." Will's begging went unnoticed.

"Watch the way you speak to us Jennifer! No matter what's happened, we are still your-"

"You lost the right to be parents the moment you abandoned your own daughter. Again." JJ interrupted her father and the man looked as if he had been struck. "Look. At. Her." JJ ordered and reluctantly, her parents cast a brief glance in Leila's direction. "Doctors say she might not wake up. I guess you both got what you wanted in the end." At the malice in JJ's voice, her mother let out a sob and ran out of the room, a hand over her mouth, Robert right behind her. No one stopped them. Ignoring the concerned looks from her team, JJ slowly turned herself on her side. Will crawled into the bed next to her and cradled her in his arms. Wary of her injury, he rocked his wife as she cried for what could have been the hundredth time that week. His own heart broke for her and the only thing he wished for was for their family to be put back together, especially if that meant adding an extra member. He looked over at the teenager for the first time and couldn't help but notice the striking similarities she bore with JJ and Sandy Jareau. _We'll fix it_,he told himself. _Even if I have to do it myself._ Before he fell asleep curled up against his wife, Will felt the sheets ruffle and made room for their son to join them. Henry snaked between his parents and fell asleep with his arms wrapped around his mother's waist. For the first time in what felt like years, Will and JJ slept peacefully knowing that they were finally in each other's arms again.

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Guys, I have an unhealthy love for Will & Henry so PLEASE no hate on those characters: it'll kill me. PLEASSEEEE let me know how I did, I'm really worried about reactions over the next few chapters.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter XXXI Obvious Intentions**

"You really didn't need to walk me up." Emily told the detective for the third time since they had arrived at the hotel.

"Yes I did. Besides," he blushed slightly and Emily couldn't help but think how adorable the shade of pink looked on him. "I wanted to."

"Oh." She managed to say, desperately trying to stop her own cheeks from reddening. The two rode the elevator to the fourth floor in silence.

"Here it is." Chris motioned to the new room JJ and Emily had been given, far enough away from the previous one. "See you later Emily." Slowly the man started to turn and make his way back down the hallway before Emily called out to him.

"Chris." She took a step closer to him than she needed to. "I just wanted to thank you. You know, keeping it together, helping JJ and…and staying with me." This time, the brunette was helpless against the heat that flushed her cheeks. _Damn, _she thought. _I bet he thinks I'm some love struck teenager. _

"There's really no need to thank me. I was just doing my job." He said nonchalantly.

"Right, your job." Emily continued to blush, embarrassed.

"As for staying with you," he reached out and took her hand into his. "That _really_ wasn't a problem." He smiled and Emily chuckled. She squeezed his hand and made a quick, last minute decision. Pushing herself on her tip toes, Emily reached his height and planted a kiss on the man's cheek. She stayed there longer than necessary, making it obvious that this more than a simple peck.

"See you later." She said and swiftly made her way into the room. Pressing her back against the closed door, Emily ran a hand through her hair and patted her face. Realizing how hot it was, she decided to take a quick shower before getting something to eat and making her way back to the hospital. She couldn't help but smile and compliment herself on her bravery. Thankfully, it didn't go unnoticed as she caught a glimpse of Chris' face when she had kissed him. It didn't take a profiler to notice that he had enjoyed it as much as she had but was it really the right move? Shoving negative thoughts aside, Emily launched herself into the bathroom, removing clothes as she went and desperately tried to wipe the smirk off her face. If only she knew that Detective Knox was attempting to do the same.

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A New Years Eve update for my favorite readers!


	32. Chapter 32

Thanks for all the amazing reviews! The other chapter was pretty short so here's another one.

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**Chapter XXXII Discharged**

When JJ awoke, the first thing she realized was that neither Will nor Henry had stirred. Both her husband and son remained with her the entire night and JJ's heart swelled at the thought. Slowly untangling herself from their embraces, JJ swung her legs over the side of the bed after removing the wires that seemed to have permanently attached themselves to her. Silencing the monitor behind her, she managed to stand without trial but when she took her first step, JJ had to place a hand to her side and stifle a cry of pain. Biting her lip, she made her way to the chair Emily had occupied when she sat with Leila and dropped herself into it. Afraid to touch or speak to the girl, JJ remained content with listening to the beep of her heart monitor…content with knowing that all least she was still alive. A knock on the door caused JJ to nearly jump out of her skin as she turned and saw Emily enter the room.

"What are you doing?!" she cried, a frown immediately taking over the brunette's features.

"Sitting?" JJ responded sarcastically while motioning to the sleeping duo on her bed. Emily glanced at father and son and fought the urge to let out an 'awww'. She didn't need to as Henry stirred and woke up from his deep sleep.

"Emmy!" he cried as he hopped off the bed and made a beeline for the brunette. He jumped as he approached her and Emily caught him in midair.

"Hey Henry!" Emily hugged the boy, ruffling his mane of blonde hair as he wrapped his tiny arms around her neck.

"I missed you Emmy." The little boy told her and Emily broke into a beaming smile, her anger at JJ forgotten.

"I missed you too buddy." She tickled the boy's ribs until he burst into a fit of adorable giggles.

"Have you seen Momma's friend?" Henry pointed to a sleeping Leila.

"Yea, I have." Emily muttered, her mood dropping slightly.

"She's pretty." Henry gushed and Emily couldn't help but let out a laugh. If only he knew he was crushing on his aunt.

"Yea, buddy she is." Emily put the toddler down and shot a glare at her blonde friend. "You're lucky you make cute kids." She mumbled just loud enough for her to hear and JJ couldn't help but smile. By now, Will had been jarred awake.

"Hey Emily." He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Nice to see you again."

"Morning Will, you too." Emily smiled at the Cajun as he kissed JJ on the lips.

"Hey buddy, you want to go get some breakfast?" Will asked his son and Henry smiled and nodded. "We'll be back."

"You guys are just too cute sometimes." Emily mumbled. "It's nauseating." JJ let out a wholehearted laugh and immediately regretted it. She pressed her side again and held her breath, willing the pain to go away. "Sorry."

"It's fine." JJ managed.

"Can you get back into bed now? The nurses wanted me to make sure you weren't dying since you pulled out your wires." Emily rolled her eyes.

"Don't even start with me Prentiss, nothing compares to what you did to those doctors in Boston." JJ grumbled.

"I really should have sent flowers…" Emily rubbed her chin and frowned as she pretended to contemplate the idea. JJ stifled a laugh.

"Stop making me laugh." She ordered.

"Maybe if you could get some morphine, it wouldn't hurt so much." The brunette pressed.

"It makes me sleep." JJ said, as if that was a satisfactory reason. Emily just rolled her eyes, knowing that the blonde was just as stubborn as she was, maybe even more so. "When can I get out of here?"

"I don't know…longer if you keep going for unauthorized strolls." Emily pouted.

"I just wanted to see her." JJ said softly.

"Your parents are still here." Emily told the blonde as the two women continued to stare at the sleeping girl.

"Good for them."

"Jay-"

"Honestly Em, the last thing I care about right now is my parents. This whole thing is their fault and let's not even bring up the fact that they still blame me for Andrea's…death." Caught off guard by how much she had revealed in her rant, JJ stiffened and refused to look at her friend.

"I'm sorry." Emily said quietly. "Do you want me to tell them to leave? Because you know I will if that's what you-"

"Just leave them there. Let them wallow in their self-pity." JJ spat causing the brunette to cringe at her friend's hostility. E_ven I don't hate my parents that much, _Emily thought.

"Jennifer Jareau!" a voice cried from the doorway. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Sitting?" she repeated the same sarcastic answer she had given Emily. Dr. Kepner was obviously not impressed and couldn't be distracted by her son's cuteness and charm.

"Unless you want to spend the next month in this hospital, I suggest you get back into your bed and refrain from removing wires that keep you healthy." The older man pointed to the bed as if JJ was a high school student who had missed curfew and was getting reprimanded by her father. With Emily at her side waiting to offer a helping hand if necessary, JJ reluctantly got back into her bed and allowed Kepner to reattach said wires. The heart monitor turned up and the room was filled with the sound of two heartbeats once more. "Now, I have your release papers," JJ reached out for them and Kepner yanked them away from her grasp. "but I don't think it's a good idea to remove yourself from our facility. You've only been here for two days and-"

"I'll be staying here until my sister wakes up anyway doctor. You'll be seeing plenty of me whether you want to or not." JJ shot the man a grin and he raised an eyebrow. "I promise to take all my medication and let someone know the minute I feel…anything but fine." Kepner sighed in resignation.

"Agent Prentiss," he turned to Emily. "I assume you will make sure Jennifer here stays loyal to her oath?"

"Count on it Doc." She smiled at the man and he reluctantly handed JJ her discharge papers. Signing them quickly, JJ made her way out of the bed once again and into the bathroom where Emily had placed fresh clothes for her. Glimpsing over at Leila, Emily silently prayed to whatever deity was listening that the girl would wake up soon and they could all go home.

"Emily." She turned towards the sound of her name and saw Dr. Avery enter the room carrying a bundle wrapped in plastic. "I have Leila's belongings. I didn't know what you wanted me to do with the clothes so-"

"You can burn them for all we care. I doubt she'll want to wear them again." Emily said quickly and Avery nodded.

"There is something I think she'll want though." Avery reached into her pocket and drew out a necklace. "We had to take if off her before the surgery but I have a feeling she'll want it back." She handed the chain to Emily and the profiler didn't need a second look to tell her why. It was a horseshoe necklace identical to the one JJ wore. Studying it closely, Emily noticed an engraving on the bottom. It read:

_JJ 4.21.77 _

JJ's birthday was April 21, 1977. The door to the bathroom opened and JJ emerged and glanced at the object in Emily's hand. Her hand immediately went to her neck, thinking that she had dropped the necklace during the course of the days. Realizing that she had hers on, JJ frowned.

"What's that?" she asked her friend. Emily approached her and grasped the necklace hanging from JJ's neck. She inspected it and found a similar engraving on the older Jareau's. This one read:

_LJ 5.17.94_

"I think you're right Doc. Leila will definitely want to hold onto this. Thank you." Emily told the woman without taking her eyes off the chain.

"Let me see." JJ took the object from Emily's hand and inspected it. After seeing the same thing her friend had, she was left momentarily speechless. "I never knew what it meant."

"Well now you both know." Emily patted her friend's shoulder and led her into the hallway.

"JJ!" Nearly a dozen voices cried out at once as the team surrounded her.

"What are you doing?" Reid asked, taking in her attire.

"Going to take an extremely long shower." She replied. "I'll be back in a few hours."

"You signed yourself out?" Hotch asked the blonde. She nodded. "JJ, you've only been here for 2 days. You were _shot_."

"I was what?!" JJ feigned confusion causing smirks to pass from each profiler's lips. She placed a reassuring hand on her boss' shoulder. "I'm fine Hotch. Besides, do you honestly think I'm going to be spending a lot of time away from here anyway?"

"I suppose not." He responded. "Are you driving her Prentiss?" Emily nodded. "Let us know when you arrive." The women nodded again as they turned to leave. They met Will and Henry at the lobby and after much protest from her husband, JJ managed to convince him to wait for here there. Placing a kiss on both their lips, JJ departed with Emily. The only thought going through her mind during the entire drive to the hotel was 'Holy Lord, I can't wait to shower.'


	33. Chapter 33

Sorry for the recent delays. I've been visiting family in Greece since the end of December & it's hard to get wifi without having to pay money I don't have. Hope you're enjoying the story; I know I'm enjoying writing it for you guys! Let me know what you think by dropping a review please!

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** Chapter XXXIII Friendships; Old & New**

"Just let me know if you need anything. I'll be right out here." Emily took a seat on one of the beds and turned on the television as JJ entered the bathroom.

"Emily Prentiss, do you have a secret desire to see me naked?" She asked her friend, eyebrow raised. "Not a problem if you do, I'd just like to know." Emily let out a hearty laugh.

"Damn it, you caught me." she snapped her fingers and frowned.

"Better not let Detective McHotness figure out your secret." JJ smirked and shut the door to the bathroom leaving a flustered Emily to stare at the spot she had occupied. Slowly, JJ began removing her clothes. Once she managed to accomplish the task without ripping even one of her stitches, she couldn't help but catch a glimpse of the scar adorning her abdomen. _My first battle scar, _she thought. She had been the last of her team to be physically scarred by the job. Even Penelope had gotten shot before her and JJ couldn't help but feel as if she wasn't exactly crucial to the team's dynamic. She touched the scar, feeling its bumpy edges and hoped that the coarse feel of it would subside in a few days. It was red and clearly aggravated by her constant moving. She made a mental note to actual apply the ointment Kepner had given her after her shower. Instead of taking a quick shower like she had in mind, JJ decided to sit in the tub and let the water do the work for her. She wouldn't admit it but the simple trip from the hospital to the room had exhausted her. JJ closed her eyes and savored the feeling of hot water covering her body and washing away the filth of the previous days. Sighing, she assumed she had spent too much time there already and wanting to keep Emily from breaking down the door like she knew she would. JJ was glad to have a friend like her and the rest of the team. She toweled her hair dry and changed into the clothes she had been wearing since they were only in use for a half hour.

"Would you look at that, I didn't even need your help." JJ called out to her friend only to be ignored. She turned the corner and saw Emily's face buried into her cell phone, texting away like a teenager. "Earth to Prentiss!"

"What?" Emily asked without looking up from her phone.

"Seriously, you're already talking to him over me?" JJ crossed her arms and frowned, waiting for the brunette to take notice.

"Sorry." Emily looked up and smiled; a smile JJ had never seen on the woman's face before.

"What's he saying?" JJ asked as she sat on the edge of the brunette's bed.

"Who?" Emily frowned at her, placing the phone on the nightstand. JJ scoffed.

"Are you really going to pretend you aren't texting _Chris_?" JJ reached for the phone only to get her hand slapped away by Emily. "Hey! I'm handicapped, watch it."

"Lucky for you." Emily muttered as the phone vibrated again. She quickly reached for it, yanking it away from JJ's reach. Leaving the brunette to flirt to her heart's content, JJ reluctantly opened the bottle of ointment Dr. Kepner had given her and began applying it to her scar. Emily caught the blonde wincing and immediately dropped the cell phone. "You okay?"

"Just stings." JJ admitted and made her way into the covers of the bed. Maybe a nap wasn't such a bad idea.

"Yea, it does." Emily recalled as she pulled four bottles of pills out of the blonde's purse. She took a pill out of each and handed them to JJ along with a bottle of water. "Don't make me shove them down your throat."

"Handicapped." JJ motioned to herself as a reminder to the brunette but took the pills without complaint. She was too tired to argue. JJ coughed as she downed both the antibiotic and pain pill together. Next Emily handed her the vitamins and JJ frowned. "I'm good."

"Don't test me Blondie." Emily replied and put the pills into the woman's hand. "_These_ are your fault alone."

"That's not fair." JJ whined.

"It's not fair that you were neglecting basic human needs for almost an entire week. Now take them." Emily ordered and JJ immediately caught on to the brunette's antipathy. Understanding why she was so insistent, JJ swallowed the vitamins as well.

"I'm sorry." She told her friend quietly.

"For what?" Emily asked as if waiting for a confession.

"Everything. I didn't think about what could happen. I didn't think about the effect my actions could have on you guys. I just wanted-" JJ was cut off by a pair of arms wrapping themselves around her neck. Emily pulled the woman closer but was wary of squeezing her too tight.

"I thought you were…"

"I know. I'm so sorry Em." JJ felt moisture build up on the edge of her eyes and blinked the tears away. Emily seemed hesitate to let go of her, so JJ did the one thing she could do: she let the brunette hug her for as long as she wanted and stroked her hair softly. Finally, Emily released her and quickly wiped away the tears that had made their way down her face. The two women laughed lightly as Emily said,

"Don't do it again." JJ saluted.

"Yes ma'am." She said and Emily returned to her bed and phone as JJ made herself comfortable in the sheets. Realizing that the blonde was going to sleep, Emily turned off the television and resumed her texting. Within minutes, JJ had fallen fast asleep and Emily had to stifle her laughter at the things Chris was telling her. 

A knock on the door roused Emily from her comfortable position on the bed as she rose to see who it was. Without thinking about it, she placed a hand on her Glock, reassuring herself that it was still there. Looking through the peephole, Emily relaxed her grip and opened the door.

"Hey Princess." Morgan smiled. "How's she doing?"

"Sleeping like a rock since we got here." Emily chuckled as she let the man in. It hadn't escaped the women's notice that their new room consisted of no windows, surely the reassure the men of the team. Letting their over protectiveness slide, Emily decided that their concern wasn't completely unwarranted after what had happened.

"She take her meds?" Morgan asked and received a glare from the brunette. "Right, course she did. How have you been Prentiss?"

"Me?" Emily asked, confused. "I'm fine. Why?"

"Well I mean your best friend got shot. That tends to shake people up a bit." Morgan spoke from experience and Emily placed a reassuring hand on the man's shoulder.

"I'm good. We're good." She smiled. "Thanks for asking."

"Anytime Princess." He winked at her and sat on her bed. "Someone's waiting for you in the lobby."

"Who?" Emily asked and Morgan raised his eyebrows at the woman as if saying, _who else?_ "Oh." She blushed. Surely Morgan would tease her for the reaction.

"You should go. I'll stay with her." Morgan surprised her. Contemplating, Emily placed her hands on her hips. "Go, Emily." He pressed.

"If you insist." She forced an exaggerated eye roll and grabbed her bag and coat. "Take care of her."

"Always will." Morgan winked again and Emily swiftly made her way down the hallway and into the elevator. Reaching the lobby in record time, Emily quickly caught sight of Chris' silhouette sitting at the bar waiting for her. She sat on the stool next to him and waiting for him to notice it was her.

"Hey." He said shyly after a few seconds.

"Hi." She replied and smiled at the man. His cologne invaded her nostrils and Emily couldn't help but think about how perfectly it complemented the man.

"So I thought I'd take out for a late lunch. What do you say?" he smiled his award-winning smile at her.

"Well how could I say no to that?" Emily said and gazed into his emerald colored eyes. She noticed a few specks of gold surrounding his pupil and was momentarily mesmerized by them. Realizing she was staring, Emily looked away and blushed once more. Chris rose from the stool and grabbed her hand, leading her towards the exit. "So where are you taking us?"

"You ever have Thai?" he asked her. In fact, Emily had tried every sort of food from giraffe to durian fruit but she shook her head regardless. "Well prepare yourself Agent Prentiss, for you are about to undergo on a most enticing journey." _Enticing, you say? _ Emily thought as she stared at the man's lips.

"Bring it on Detective." She told the man and the two smiled before driving off.


	34. Chapter 34

This might be the longest chapter I've ever written...not sure. I decided to give it to you guys since I doubt I'll do any writing on the plane tomorrow or during my layover. I'm pretty sure you're all anxious for Leila to wake up sooo...read some more :P

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**Chapter XXXIV Trying Times Ahead **

"You're kidding?" Chris managed as he choked on his nam phrik.

"I'm not. He's absolutely crazy." Emily shook her head as she told Chris the story about the time Morgan drove an ambulance with a bomb in it.

"Seems like you and your team are pretty…"

"Lucky? Delusional? Suicidal?" Emily spit fired the first adjectives that came to mind. Chris chuckled.

"I was going to say adventurous."

"Sure you were." Emily smiled at the man as she finished her meal of roasted duck.

"So what about you?"

"Hm?" Emily frowned at the question.

"What sort of crazy stuff have you gotten yourself into?" he asked her. Emily's heart jumped to her throat immediately.

"I think that's a story for another time." She said quietly.

"That means there is going to be another time?" he asked, eyes widening. The tension in her shoulders defused, Emily found herself giggling at the detective's eagerness.

"It's still early Detective. We'll see." She said with a smile.

"True. I could pull some dick move and stick you with the check. Ya never know." Chris shrugged as he pretended to mull the idea over. Emily flung some of her rice at him and he yelped, drawing the attention of several patrons. Emily hid her laugh in her hands as she felt grains of rice being tossed in her direction. Before long, they paid the bill (or rather, Chris did) and made their way back to the car. Emily's phone beeped and she fished it out of her purse as Chris opened the car door for her. She smiled at him for what seemed like the hundredth time that night and got in.

_Heading back to the hospital with JJ. Meet you and LoverBoy there?_

_DM _

Resisting the urge to scoff at Derek's bluntness, Emily replied.

_On our way. Thought Reid was LoverBoy? How is she?_

_EP _

"Think we can stop by the hospital?" Emily asked Chris as he buckled his seatbelt.

"Of course. Everything ok?"

"Yea, Morgan's just heading there with JJ." Emily explained as he phone buzzed again.

"We'll be there in five." He said with a nod.

_I don't think he'll mind. She's good, just tired but you know JJ. How'd the date go? Treat you like the Princess you are?_

_DM _

Emily couldn't hold back a chuckle as she read the text.

_Pay attention to the road._

_EP _

"Sorry about that. Derek being…Derek." Emily said and Chris chuckled.

"Don't worry about it. How's she doing?" he asked. 

"Not bad I guess. Hasn't really talked about it much yet. She'll be better once Leila wakes up though." Emily told him and he nodded before frowning. "What is it?"

"Nothing."

"Come on." Emily urged as he made a right turn at a red light giving Emily a momentary heart attack.

"What if she doesn't wake up? I mean the doctor's said-"

"She has to. She will." Emily looked out the window, refusing the even entertain the idea that Leila was gone.

"I'm sorry, I didn't meant to-"

"I know it's alright. You have a point I just…" she sighed. "I don't think JJ would handle that well at all and I'm already worried about her as it is."

"You're probably right. Leila'll wake up. She's a fighter just like her sister." Chris turned to smile at her before turning his eyes back to the road. Emily found herself staring at the profile of the man, admiring how his chiseled features complimented the rest of him perfectly. Before she could be caught, she turned and stared out the window again. They arrived at the hospital less than a minute later and got out. Before they could make it inside, Chris grasped her arm and twirled her around to face him. Surprise evident on Emily's face, Chris took advantage of the moment and brought his hand to her face. The only thing Emily could think of was if her heart beat any louder, he would surely be able to hear it.

"You've got rice in your hair." Chris said softly as he picked the grains out and let them drop to the floor, eyes never leaving hers. When all the rice was gone, he didn't remove his hands from Emily. Instead he dropped them and placed them on her face, cupping her chin. Without realizing it, Emily wrapped her arms around his waist leaving very little space between the two.

"Thanks." She managed to say with a very shaky voice. She licked her lips subconsciously and found that the action had attracted Chris' attention to them. Emily opened her mouth slightly, trying to draw in a little more air since her lungs didn't seem to want to cooperate with her at the moment. Before she could inhale oxygen, Chris' lips were on hers, forcing her to breathe his scent in instead. Not complaining, Emily returned the kiss almost immediately, nipping on his bottom lip as her hands went to his golden hair, gripping it tightly in her fists. Soon enough, their tongues were chasing one another and as the kiss became more heated they finally remembered where they were and pulled their lips apart. Breathing heavily, the two smiled at each other but remained in their embrace.

"Anytime." Chris replied causing Emily to chuckle. A few silent seconds trickled by as neither wished to break the trance they seemed to be in. Emily was first to break the silence.

"We should uh…get inside. They'll be waiting." She stuttered and found herself unable to gaze away from the man's emerald gaze…not like she particularly wanted to.

"Right." Chris cleared his throat as he released Emily's waist and she unwrapped her arms from around his neck. Instantly, he took up her hand in his and offered a smile. Smiling back, Emily proceeded to enter the hospital and did her best to prepare herself for the torrent of awkwardness that would erupt from Mt. Derek.

As soon as Emily and Chris made their way towards JJ's former room, the rush of their first kiss had died down enough for the couple to let go of each other's hands. They didn't want to draw unnecessary attention away from Leila. They flashed their credentials at the two uniforms guarding the door and entered the room, their moods immediately plummeting. To no one's surprise, the first thing the two saw was JJ's figure crawled up in a chair next to Leila's sleeping form. Derek was leaning against a wall arms crossed and was the first to notice them.

"Hey." He managed a smile.

"Any change?" Emily asked, drawing her friend's attention. JJ untangled herself and rose to greet them. She shook her head with big eyes and Emily placed a hand on her friend's shoulder and squeezed.

"Do you want me to get you anything?" Chris asked the agents and both shook their heads.

"No thanks man. I did wanna get back to the station and see what's happening there. Care to join me?" Derek asked the blonde man.

"Sounds good. I have my car." Chris motioned to the parking lot and Derek nodded.

"You two good here for a while?" Derek asked his female colleagues. Both nodded and neither profiler missed the smile Emily and Chris exchanged before the men left the room. Staring at the closed door for a little longer than what she deemed acceptable, Emily snapped herself out of her daydream and forced her attention to where it was needed most. She pulled up a chair and sat across from JJ on the other side of Leila's bed. Neither woman failed to notice the drastic amount of weight the teenager had lost since the whole ordeal. The multitude of wires, tubes, and blankets only heightened the girl's sickly pale complexion and frail looking figure. Eventually, JJ leaned forward and grasped Leila's hand in her own as if she were holding a newborn.

"JJ." Emily tried to get the blonde's attention. "Jennifer." JJ's eyes shot up and seemed to gaze right through her friend. "How much did you sleep?"

"Don't know." She mumbled and returned her gaze to her sister. _Damn it,_ Emily thought. She was already retreating, the shock of the event finally taking its toll. _I have to do something. _Cautiously, Emily made her way around the bed and kneeled next to JJ's chair. The blonde didn't even acknowledge that she had moved.

"Look at me." It took a moment for the words to process in JJ's mind but she slowly turned her gaze onto the brunette. Emily took JJ's free hand in her own. "She's going to be fine. Do you hear me?"

"K." Again, the once bright blue eyes seemed to look past the person speaking to them to the other side of the room. Grabbing the blonde by the shoulders, Emily shook her until JJ had no choice but to look right at her.

"Stop it. Whatever it is you're thinking, stop it. It's wrong. This isn't your fault, there is nothing you could have done to change this." Emily motioned to the bed. "Alright?" JJ blinked. "Answer me!"

"Yes." She responded in a monotone voice, as if she had simply chosen the word she thought Emily wanted to hear most. Annoyed, Emily grabbed the woman's face.

"JJ, talk to me. Don't let it fester, just tell me something. Anything." The brunette practically begged her friend. Emily vividly recalled the events leading up to her hospitalization in Boston as she recovered from surgery. She had gone through the exact same phase JJ was currently suffering through except Emily didn't have anyone to snap her out of it.

"Why?" the blonde asked quietly, surprising Emily.

"Because I'm your friend and I'm worried sick about you. We all are." She said earnestly.

"Why?" she repeated.

"Because we love you. So talk. Let it out."

"What…what do you want me to do?" JJ shook her head as she finally realized that Emily was holding it in place.

"Anything! Yell at me, cry, scream, throw things…something!" Emily begged and waited for a reply.

"Can't."

"Yes you can."

"No."

"Why not?"

"She might see." JJ's voice rose as if what she had said was a reasonable explanation that Emily was too dumb to see.

"It's okay JJ. I bet she wants to do that too." Emily promised her friend.

"She'll get scared." JJ whispered, afraid to arouse the sleeping girl, and shook her head again. Emily refused to let go and kept the blonde's gaze on her.

"Do you want me to get something for you to throw?" Emily offered. JJ shook her head. "Do you wanna yell?" No. "Hit something?" No. "Hit some_one_?" No. "Want me to find your parents so you can rip them a new one again?" The corners of the blonde's mouth twitch upwards. Emily considered that a monumental success and continued the press the woman. "I'm sure I can find them in no-"

"I just want her to wake up." JJ mumbled as she seemed to deflate and fall against her friend. Had they been standing, Emily was sure they would have both ended up on the floor. Instead, she caught her friend and enveloped her in a hug as soon as the sobbing began. It was gradual; starting out silent and making its way to the most heartbreaking sound Emily had ever heard. By the time JJ was gasping for air, Emily was sure a good fifteen minutes had gone by but she continued to stroke the woman's hair and rock her back and forth like a mother soothing their child.

"It's gonna be okay. You're all going to be fine." Emily repeated the mantra over and over again until the wracking sobs turned into sniffles. Her head still buried into Emily's shoulder, JJ couldn't help the laugh that threatened to heave out. Confused, Emily pulled the blonde away from her to examine what was so amusing but the now wet fabric of her shirt. "What's so funny?" Chuckles managed to mature into outright cackling laughter before JJ could reply.

"Russian Red really isn't his color Em." The blonde managed between fits of laughter as her friend's cheeks turned into the same color as her lipstick. Before long, Emily forgot her embarrassment and joined the blue-eyed woman in equally animated giggles.

"Haven't heard that sound in way too long." A voice called out from the doorway causing both women to jump. Turning, they were met with the smiling face of David Rossi and an equally happy looking Aaron Hotchner.

"Is this really what it takes to get you to smile, Hotch? One of us has to get shot ever now and then?" Emily asked her boss with a smile as both men entered the room.

"How about I promise to smile more if you all _avoid_ getting shot? That is if you can." The dark-haired man added the last part as subtly as he could, causing the group to chuckle.

"No promises." JJ mumbled. "You've got Wonder Woman and Superman on the same team, Hotch. I'm pretty sure we could write our own comic book by now."

"Maybe Rossi can make those books famous too." Emily added pleasantly.

"No thanks kiddo, I don't do men in tights." The Italian shook his head.

"That's right you only do women in tights." Emily whispered to JJ causing the blonde to burst into laughter once more. Hotch bit his lip to hold back his own laughter as he saw a sour look cross Dave's face.

"Jealous, Emily?" he raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms in question.

"I think Em's getting along quite fine Dave." JJ winked. The brunette blushed furiously and shot her friend a look before pinching her arm. JJ yelped. "Handicapped! Remember?"

"Keep milking it Barbie." Emily used the nickname she knew JJ hated more than 99% of the things in the world.

"Don't tempt me, we're already in a hospital." the blonde retorted as both men stifled a laugh once more. "Besides I'm pretty sure even the ants going about their business knew about the little game of tongue tag you and Detective Love-At-First-Sight were playing in the parking lot." Emily stared, jaw halfway to the floor.

"I could kill you in ten different ways, with every objet in this room and get away with it." Emily reminded the woman.

"Now, now Emily." Rossi wagged a finger at the brunette as if he were a father scolding his daughter. "How many times do we have to remind you? Use your words." As Emily opened her mouth to reply, Rossi continued. "Actually, don't. We don't know where that's been." JJ practically fell out of her chair laughing and Hotch had to cover his mouth to keep from joining her. The blonde high-fived the older man as they continued to joke at Emily's expense.

"You're going down old man. You too Barbie." Emily growled unnoticed as her colleagues carried on laughing. "Just wait." She crossed her arms. The laughter suddenly stopped as JJ grabbed her midsection and sucked in a breath. Emily shot out of her seat and was by the woman's side in a millisecond as Hotch and Rossi each grabbed an arm.

"I'm sorry kiddo." Rossi winced and led the blonde to her chair. JJ shook her head as she sat down.

"No, no, I needed that. Really, it was totally worth it. Thank you." She smiled at her frien-no, her family and they each returned it warmly. As the excitement died down, Hotch made his way behind the blonde and asked,

"Have they told you anything new?" JJ just shook her head. "Don't worry about it JJ. Remember how long I was out after Foyet?" At the mention of the Reaper, each member of the BAU cringed. Yes, they remembered.

"Yea, trust me, he can _sleep._" Emily replied, trying to lighten the mood once again. "But now I'm thinking he was just too lazy to wanna wake up."

"My knight in shining armor everyone." Hotch mumbled under his breath as JJ and Rossi joined Emily in giggles. "But seriously, try not to freak yourself out too much."

"'Freak myself out'?" JJ turned a sly smile at her boss. "Wow, are you feeling okay?" she placed the back of her hand against Hotch's forehead. "Yea, definitely running a fever."

"Who's running a fever?" a female voice caught the group's attention. They turned and were met with the worried expression of Dr. Avery as she hurried towards them.

"Oh, no one Doctor." Emily assured her. "Sorry for the scare." The team made room for Avery to check on Leila's condition.

"Quite alright." The woman assured them as she unwrapped the bandages from Leila's injured hand. Every profiler refused to look at the grotesque wound and focused their attention on the teenager's face instead.

"Doctor?" JJ's voice said meekly.

"Joan, please." She smiled at the blonde and continued to dress the wound.

"Jen-JJ. I'm Leila's um…sister. Is there anything you can tell me about well…anything?" Hotch, Emily and Rossi shared a look; they had never seen JJ at a loss for words before and it unsettled them deeply.

"Well JJ, there's not much to tell." Joan admitted. "She seems to be healing as well as expected. Like I told Emily, heart surgeries such as these are highly unpredictable. I wish I could tell you more but there's no norm for how long a patient should be asleep. It varies."

"I understand. Thank you." JJ sunk back into her chair, clearly disappointed.

"If I may," Joan approached the blonde. "I saw the news and if even half of it is true, then this girl, and yourself, are two of the strongest people I've ever seen enter this hospital. If anyone can beat this, it's your sister."

"Thank you Joan. That…really helps." JJ answered honestly as the doctor smiled.

"I'll be back in a few hours. You're welcome to stay here but I don't think so many of you should-"

"Don't worry Doctor. We're just visiting." Hotch shot the woman a smile.

"No problem Agent…?"

"Hotchner." Aaron extended his hand and the two shook. "Aaron." He restated quickly.

"Well Aaron, I'll be back in a few hours to check on her. Make yourselves comfortable." Joan shot the group another smile before leaving.

"_Can you feel the love tonight?_" JJ sang as soon as the door closed behind the woman. Emily snorted and Rossi slapped his friend on the back approvingly.

"Very funny…Barbie." Hotch countered earning himself an icy blue glare from the woman. Before anyone could respond to the playful banter, Hotch's cell phone buzzed and everyone knew who-or rather what- it was.

"Took the Ice Queen long enough." Emily grumbled as Hotch left the room to take the call.

"Don't worry about Strauss. I'll handle anything that needs handling." Rossi frowned.

"Thanks for that mental image Dave. Really…needed that." Emily gagged.

"Not my fault you're a pervert." Dave went to flick the woman's ear only to get his hand smacked away before he even got close. "Freakin' Catwoman."

"I prefer Wonder Woman, thank you." The brunette boasted as they noticed the blank look that had enveloped JJ's face since the call. "What is it?"

"I'm gonna get fired aren't I?" the blonde asked the dark-haired pair softly.

"Why would you even think that JJ?" Emily shot. "You did your job; you protected an innocent person against an unsub. That's what we do."

"But I went in after I was told multiple times to stay away with an unauthorized hidden backup, without a vest, on the most personal case we've ever dealt with, only to get myself shot, lose him, and put an teenager through heart surgery she wouldn't have needed if I didn't try to save her to begin with!" JJ voice rose with every syllable.

"Whoa there Sunshine, calm down." Rossi placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. "You did what you thought was right and you're both alive."

"He got away, Rossi." JJ repeated and Dave scoffed.

"Screw him. We'll have him within the month. All that matters is that the two of you are alive and safe and if Strauss has any sort of problem with that, be assured she won't be in the position she is for long." Rossi promised the woman and JJ bowed her head.

"Damn straight Papa Bear." Emily muttered with a smile.

"He would have killed her. You need to understand that Jennifer. If you didn't do what you did, we would have been too late and Leila Ryan would be as dead as he's going to be. You saved her sister's life and when, yes _when_, she wakes up, she'll tell you the same thing herself." Rossi raised JJ's chin until they were eye-to-eye. "I promise; we won't rest until he's in the ground. Not in jail, not on the run, not in some third-world country feasting on dung beetles. Dead."

"You shouldn't…say things like that." JJ whispered, instantly afraid that someone had heard the man's promise to her.

"It's true JJ." Emily eased closer to her best friend. "_When_ we find him, one of us is putting another bullet in him but this time, it'll be permanent." The fiery determination in the brunette's eyes was proof enough for JJ. These people would kill for her. Instantaneously, JJ felt guilt overwhelm her senses. Emily had just told her how far she was willing to go to protect her. Where was that determination- that promise- when Emily needed it? When a psychopathic murderer was hunting her best friend, where was her drive to take the bastard out? _No wonder we failed to save her_, JJ thought. _She needed people who would take care of the problem for her, not take care of her after the problem had destroyed her._ At a complete loss for words once more, JJ simply nodded her thanks and tried to hide the fact that she couldn't see behind the tears that had built up in her eyes.

"I'll let you get some sleep." Rossi said gently as he kissed the top of her head and left. He wasn't surprised when he saw Hotch's frown as he hung up his cell or when Emily didn't follow him out. It was going to be a trying week.

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Tell me what you think of the group humor. I tried to make it as authentic as possible. Please don't expect an update until at least Tuesday (sorry). Also someone mentioned the necklace idea & how they loved it (thanks!) & I just wanted to let you guys know that the necklaces were the basis of this whole idea! Hope you like!


	35. Chapter 35

A short chapter of fluff. Because everyone loves a bit of fluff.

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**Chapter XXXV This is Family**

"She's got to be joking. Right?" Morgan's voice boomed in the hospital hallway.

"I'm afraid not." Hotch mumbled as he examined the faces of his team. "Strauss wants us all back as soon as possible, including JJ. The review board wanted the matter solved yesterday."

"This is bullshit!" Morgan roared earning himself a glare from several medical personnel. "They can't just put her on trial after what happened!"

"She won't leave without Leila." Reid added quietly. The other three men nodded.

"He's right. She hasn't even left her _bedside_ since all this happened and Strauss expects her to change states?" Morgan asked his boss. Hotch simply shrugged.

"This wasn't up to me Morgan. If it was, we'd make permanent residence here until she woke up and take her back with us. At least until Parrilla is caught." Hotch emphasized the word 'caught' and glared at his team. Morgan scoffed.

"Spare us, Hotch. Don't even pretend you don't want him dead as much as we do." The dark-skinned agent rolled his eyes.

"Morgan's right Aaron. We all want him gone." Rossi added and Reid nodded his agreement.

"That doesn't change the law. Our job is to _catch_ these people. A judge can decide whether they live or die." Hotch persisted.

"This isn't the _job_ anymore man." Derek pushed. "This is our family; a family which he almost destroyed." The men fell silent, each in their own thoughts, until the door to Leila's room opened and Emily emerged.

"What did she say?" the raven-haired woman asked.

"She wants us back. Tonight." Hotch summarized and Emily frowned.

"Well you can call her back and tell her that that's not happening." She spat.

"The Board also wants to…review what happened." Rossi informed her.

"The last time they '_reviewed_ what happened we all nearly lost our jobs." Emily cried.

"I'm not going to let that happen." Hotch promised them. "But we can't stay. At least not all of us."

"I'm staying." Morgan, Emily, and Reid all said simultaneously and proceeded to argue over who would be the best candidate. They only stopped when a sharp whistle pierced their ears. Turning, they saw JJ standing in the doorway observing their conversation.

"None of you are staying." She said seriously. "It's my fault we're in this mess and if they want to fire anyone, it'll be me." Everyone erupted into argument, trying to persuade the blonde that she was wrong.

"JJ, we've been through this." Hotch's voice overtook the rest. "None of this is your fault. We all knew him and no one saw it. Sometimes, they are just _that_ good."

"He's right Jennifer." Rossi approached the woman and placed a hand on her shoulder. "There's nothing any of us could have done to prevent this. The only thing that matters now is that we're all here, alive."

"Only just." JJ mumbled as she glanced into the room containing her sister. No one knew how to reply to that. Promises that Leila would wake up couldn't be made. Promises that they would find and kill Parrilla _shouldn't_ be made. JJ ran a hand through her hair before speaking again. "Listen, I'm sorry you guys had to go through this. I never wanted that."

"We're not blaming you Sunshine. We're here to help." Morgan offered her a 100 watt smile which she didn't return.

"That's what family does." Emily added her own smile to the mix, nudging the others to do the same.

"JJ," Reid stepped forward. "You're always the one to reassure us and to help us through whatever it is we're going through. You're basically the mother of this team and always will be but for once, let us take care of you." At his words, JJ broke into a smile and spread her arms, enveloping the first two in her sights which just happened to be Morgan and Reid. After a few seconds, they untangled themselves from one another. JJ wiped away a few stray tears that had fallen during the hug as she heard,

"Me too! Me too!" a tiny voice called out as footsteps approached the group. They all turned to see Henry running full speed towards them, arms outstretched, Will a few paces behind him. JJ bent down and received his running hug. She winced slightly as she lifted him up and he wrapped his tiny arms around her neck.

"You too buddy." JJ chuckled. Henry released one arm from around her neck and motioned to his father, aunt, and uncles to join in.

"Hug!" he demanded from the adults and no one knew how to refuse the little boy. Giggling like children themselves, they proceeded to wrap their arms around one another. This was definitely more than any of them had expected when they signed up for this job…this was family.

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Already working on the next chapter so don't you worry you're pretty heads!


	36. Chapter 36

Promise made, promise kept! Repay me with reviews and I will love you forever!

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**Chapter XXXVI Alone at Last**

"Is she Snow White mama?" JJ's son asked her. She and Emily chuckled at the innocent question.

"I don't know baby." She shrugged. "You can ask her when she wakes up."

"When she gonna wake up?" Henry asked only to be met with silence. "Hm?" he shook his mother's shoulder, awaiting an answer.

"I don't know buddy. Maybe soon." JJ said quietly as she held onto Leila's hand and squeezed. _Please be soon._

"I want her to wake up." Henry stated matter-of-factly and propped himself on the bed by Leila's feet.

"Me too." JJ smiled at her son as he made himself comfortable around his aunt's legs.

"Do you need anything JJ? I'm going to get some coffee." Emily asked. JJ replied that she would love one.

"Me too Emmy!" Henry cried and Emily chuckled as she bent over and picked the five year old up. Propping him on her hip, she pinched his nose.

"Maybe in a few years buddy." She told the boy. "Do you want to come with me?" Henry looked to his mother and when JJ nodded he replied,

"Let's go!" he wriggled in Emily's arms.

"Em, you don't have to carry him, you know. He's getting pretty heavy." JJ told her friend.

"You saying I can't handle all 40 pounds of him?" Emily raised an eyebrow.

"Go ahead Wonder Woman but don't come crying to me when you pull a muscle." JJ waved her hand at the brunette and went back to looking at Leila while the two scurried away, Henry still in Emily's arms. It seemed to JJ that she had memorized every angle of Leila's face in the time she had spent with her. Afraid to look away lest something happen to her, the blonde had spent every waking second with the girl. Secretly, JJ just wanted to be the first face Leila saw when she woke up. She was angry at herself at not being able to help the girl in the basement and that Emily was the one that comforted her after JJ was shot. Placing a hand on her own injury, JJ resolved that the aching should have stopped by now. She lifted her shirt and picked at the stitches. She reached into her bag and pulled out the cream Dr. Kepner had prescribed her and applied some to the wound. It stung, as usual, but JJ didn't mind much. At least she was still alive to feel it. Before JJ could reprimand herself for the thousandth time over what she had allowed to happen, she felt the slightest bit of pressure on her hand. Startled, she dropped her purse and shot out of her chair. Still holding onto Leila's hand, she eased closer to the girl.

"Leila?" she whispered softly. "Are you…are you awake?" The girl frowned and squeezed JJ's hand with a little bit more strength before a groan escaped her lips. Her face scrunched up, apparently feeling every one of her injuries, and JJ used her free hand to cup her jaw. "Open your eyes Leila. You're safe now, I promise." Slowly, Leila's breathing increased its pace and her head began shifting. Still frowning at the unexplained pain, Leila groaned again and tried to shift her body only to be stopped by a gentle hand to the shoulder. "Don't try to move."

"So we got you coffee, Jell-O, and some-"

"Get the doctor, she's waking up!" JJ cried towards the doorway. She heard Emily usher Henry out of the room and call out for Dr. Avery. The rest of the team made their way into the room and stood in a corner. Emily rushed back in with Dr. Avery in tow within seconds.

"Has she said anything yet?" Avery asked JJ.

"No, nothing." JJ was slowly pushed out of the doctor's way. "Is she alright?" Avery ignored the question as she examined Leila.

"Leila, my name is Joan. You're in the hospital. Can you open your eyes for me?" she asked the teenager. She received a groan in reply as interns and nurses rushed in to help Avery. A few ragged breaths escaped Leila's lips as Avery instructed the others one what to give the girl and when to do it. Emily kept JJ from shoving Avery out of the way for a few extra seconds by holding onto her hand while the doctors examined her. Finally, Avery turned to JJ and smiled. "She's going to be alright." Without warning, the blonde rushed forward and wrapped her arms around the other woman causing everyone in the room to chuckle.

"Thank you." She whispered softly in the doctor's ear.

"There's no need to thank me." Joan assured her as JJ released her grip and advanced to Leila's side. She briefly noticed Hotch gaining the doctor's attention and striking up a conversation on the medication Leila would be on. JJ nervously glanced behind her and saw Emily, Morgan, Reid, and Rossi all signaling for her to approach the girl. Apparently she was going too slowly for Emily's taste so the brunette leaned forward and gave her friend a little shove. Before she knew it, JJ was at the bedside of an awake and very confused-looking Leila.

"Leila?" JJ said meekly. The teenager's eyes slowly adjusted to the light and turned their sapphire gaze towards the blonde. JJ's voice caught in her throat as she finally realized just how similar the two looked. "My name-" JJ cleared her throat, "my name is-"

"Jennifer." Leila managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper. "I remember." JJ sighed, not sure exactly what Leila thought she remembered. An uneasy silence came over the sisters until Emily stepped forward and broke it.

"Hi Leila. I'm-"

"Emily." The girl finished for her. "Derek, Spencer, David." She motioned to the men standing the background. Each offered her a smile as she recalled their names. "Eidetic memory." She explained, earning herself a wider smile from Dr. Reid.

"So you…you remember everything?" JJ asked the girl, partially afraid of the answer she would give. Leila nodded and took a deep breath. Wincing, she placed a hand over her heart, feeling the raised skin from the stitches she had received. Her breath hitched again as she tried to raise her right hand and regretted it. Instinctively, JJ moved closer to the girl.

"Try not to move too much." JJ told her quietly.

"What happened?" Leila motioned to her chest.

"You had open heart surgery. Because of the um, the electric shocks." JJ explained delicately.

"Oh." Leila mumbled as she cradled her injured hand.

"We'll give you two some time." Rossi said quietly, ushering the three agents out of the room.

"Thank you." Leila called out to them. "For saving me." All four agents nodded and smiled before leaving the siblings on their own. JJ gulped as she heard the door close behind her friends. She didn't realize how much their presence comforted her until they were gone. Never before had Jennifer Jareau been this afraid.

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ugh she's finally awake! What will happen next? How will Leila react to her new 'family'? Review to find out faster :P


	37. Chapter 37

Here's the next chapter even though the previous one only had 1 review :(

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**Chapter XXXVII We'll Figure it Out**

As the four agents closed the door behind them, they caught a sidelong glance at their boss handing Joan a piece of paper and smiling at the doctor. Realizing he was being watched, Hotch made his way to his team.

"Really?" Rossi frowned. "We're in a hospital and you think this is a good time to hand out your number to a perfect stranger?"

"Jo- Dr. Avery saved Leila's life, Dave. I gave her my business card to make sure that I had all the details regarding her treatment." Hotch winced slightly as each member raised their eyebrows.

"You mean the business card that just happened to have your cell phone number on it?" Emily asked, a smirk making its way onto the woman's features.

"Says the woman who hasn't stopped texting a certain detective since we got here." The dark haired profiler added. The other three men didn't even bother to hold back their snickers as Emily blushed.

"Low blow, Hotchner." She mumbled. The playful banter ceased as Reid drew their attention to the blonde haired couple making a b-line for them.

"We heard she's awake." Sandy Jareau stated and crossed her arms as Emily and Derek protectively blocked the door with their bodies.

"She is." Hotch told the two and waited. Robert Jareau seemed to grow impatient and took a step closer.

"Are you going to move?" he asked Emily and Derek. Both simply crossed their arms across their chests, their already hard gazes turning to stone.

"This isn't the time or place for this." Rossi stepped between the eldest Jareau and his teammates. "JJ's talking to her now, maybe you could come-"

"So Jennifer gets to talk to her but we don't?" the man asked defensively, his voice rising quickly.

"Jennifer's not the one who abandoned her!" Reid burst forward and stared angrily at the couple. Hotch placed a hand on the younger man's arm, holding him back. Reid's prior experience with parents leaving their children behind wasn't going to help diffuse the situation.

"Dave's right." Hotch said calmly. "We're all a bit worked up and tired. Now that we know Leila's going to be alright, we can rest and…solve this another time. Mr. & Mrs. Jareau?" he glanced at the couple who reluctantly backed away. Just as the two were out of view, the door behind Emily and Derek opened, revealing a doe-eyed JJ. Apparently she had waited for her parents to leave before emerging.

"You okay?" Reid took a protective step towards the blonde who smiled and nodded.

"You were in there for…" Emily checked her watch, "four minutes. You're going to tell me that all you had to say to your long-lost, week-long comatose sister could be said in four minutes?"

"She fell asleep Em. What did you want me to do; rip the IV out of her arm?" JJ asked sarcastically.

"Well that would be…excessive." Emily admitted and smirked.

"Not to mention rude." Rossi said.

"And illegal." Hotch added quietly. As a whole, the group erupted into a fit of giggles before sobering up. JJ turned and made her way down the hallway.

"Where do you think you're going?" Morgan caught up with her.

"To find Will and Henry. I don't think it's a good idea for Leila to meet Henry so soon." JJ told the man. "Where are you going?"

"You don't honestly think you're going anywhere alone, do you?" Morgan raised an eyebrow and ignored the woman's scowl. "Besides, don't you think that should be up to her to decide?" JJ stopped and shook her head.

"I don't know." She admitted. "I don't know what the hell I'm doing. Should I keep my-_our_ parents from seeing her? Do I even have that right? What'll happen if I introduce her to Henry? Does she even want to know _me_?"

"Whoa there Blondie, slow down." Morgan placed a hand on JJ's shoulder. "No one expects you to know all the answers. You gotta play it by ear JJ. But for that last question, I'm sure she does. You saved her."

"Emily and Knox saved her." JJ stammered.

"Bullshit." Derek said forcefully. "You honestly think she'd still be alive if you hadn't delayed Parrilla the way you did? Or if you hadn't waited for the precise moment to shoot him? Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Jennifer. There's nothing that can be done to change the past but you did _everything_ in your power to save her and guess what? You succeeded, so stop sulking and be happy!" Derek flashed another award-winning smile and waited until she returned it.

"You're right." JJ sighed and massaged her temples.

"Besides, the Bureau is probably gonna give you some award for bravery or whatnot." Morgan guided her through the hallways. "Think of how much fun _that's_ going to be." JJ rolled her eyes and groaned at the thought.

Emily had gone to sit with Leila after JJ and Morgan went to search for Will and Henry. She didn't feel like the girl should be left alone for even a minute; not with Parrilla still out there. As she watched Leila squirm in her sleep, Emily recognized the signs of a nightmare and couldn't help but think of her own personal boogeyman, Ian Doyle. Doyle had kidnapped her, hurt her, threatened her family, and put her in the hospital exactly like Parrilla had done to Leila. Perhaps the two women had more in common than hair color. Debating on whether or not to wake the girl and end her nightmare, Emily failed to hear the knock on the door as Detective Knox strolled in.

"Heard she woke up." His voice jolted Emily out of her thoughts and out of her chair. "Sorry, didn't mean to sneak up on you."

"It's alright." Emily reassured him as he took a few steps closer to her. "Yea, she did. Even talked to JJ for a few minutes before falling asleep."

"That's great!" Chris exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around Emily's waist and drew her towards him. She couldn't help the smile, or the reddening in her cheeks, as she inhaled his cologne. "So what's going to happen now?"

"Well, I'm fairly certain that JJ's going to ask her to come back with them to DC but-"

"Not what I meant." Chris interrupted softly. Realization dawned upon Emily and the mood suddenly plummeted.

"I…I don't know Chris." She admitted.

"What do you _want_ to happen?" he asked her as his brilliantly emerald eyes bore into her ember ones. Emily gulped; she wasn't accustomed to sharing her feelings even with her closest friends and even when she did, she never expected her wishes to come true. "Do you not want to talk about it?"

"No, no, I do!" Emily cried, fearful that he might start believing she didn't care for him. "I'm just…not used to talking about my feelings."

"I understand. I just want you to know that I'll be waiting for an answer…whenever you're ready to give it to me." he smiled, showing her his perfect teeth once more. Emily smiled back, feeling her heart thumping harder in her chest as Chris' lips made their way closer to hers. How her arms had found their way around his neck, she would never know but in that moment, Emily was glad for the closeness. She hadn't allowed anyone to hold her since Doyle and that had been almost ten years ago. Granted, she didn't go ten years without…experimenting but it was nothing like this. No one had ever made Emily Prentiss speechless or made her giggle like a little girl or made her heart hurt at the mere thought of being away from them before. This was completely uncharted territory for her and hell, Emily loved risk. She tangled her fingers in Chris' thick black hair and hiked herself up on her toes to reach his lips. Mercilessly crashing her own against them, Emily desperately tried to memorize the man in her arms as he did the same to her. Just as their kiss turned more passionate than affectionate, the couple was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat.

"Sorry to interrupt." Dr. Avery smiled as the two were helpless to stop the blood from flowing to their cheeks. Emily cleared her throat.

"It's alright. Is everything ok?" she asked as the woman started unwrapped Leila's bandaged hand.

"Of course. Just want to make sure this doesn't get infected." Joan looked up at Emily. "I'll be out of your hair soon enough." Emily smiled, appreciating the doctor's nonchalant attitude.

"When do you think she'll be able to head home?" Chris asked the doctor and Joan frowned.

"That's up to her. If she can get up and move around without trouble breathing or tearing her stitches, then I say she's free to go." Avery shrugged.

"Leila's on an athletic scholarship to Stanford." Emily informed her. "I don't know if she'll be willing to go all the way to the west coast anymore but if she is, would she be able to participate?"

"That's difficult to say." Joan frowned again. "The stitches should be healed by the time the semester starts but her hand is a different story. I'm told she's also a musician?" Emily nodded. "Unfortunately, I can't guarantee that that hand will ever function 100% again. At this point I could wager at 40, maybe 60% capability. I'm sorry." Avery finished the dressing and left the room.

"How exactly am I supposed to tell JJ that?" Emily asked the doorframe. Chris' hand came to rest on her shoulder and Emily turned to face him, allowing herself to be enveloped in his arms. Burrowing her face in the crook of his neck, she felt him sigh.

"We'll figure it out, Emily. Everything's going to work out. You'll see." Chris promised her as he kissed the top of her head. Emily's heart couldn't help but swell at the man's sentence. _We'll _figure it out. She smiled into his neck as she nodded.

"I suppose we will."

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Please let me know what you think; it only takes a moment. Also, I'd really like to know whether you guys want to see any smut later on in the story. Your wish is my command.


	38. Chapter 38

MUST READ: when this idea came to me, I had not seen the episode that sounds a lot like the scenario I painted here. Please don't attack me with accusation of stealing the idea & whatnot.

Finally, what you've all been waiting for: some sisterly bonding! This is a pretty long chapter that I've ready for over a week now. I was just waiting for some more reviews! Reviews are like hugs of encouragement that make my fingers work MUCH faster...get your mind out of the gutter :P

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**Chapter XXXVIII Healing**

Leila desperately tried to slow her breathing as the nightmare disintegrated and reality took hold again. She could feel the stitches over her heart tugging, suddenly trying to come free, as she placed a hand over them. Feeling the rough edges of her once flawless skin, Leila sighed and winced. Taking in her surroundings, she was only slightly surprised to see the blonde-haired woman, Jennifer, curled up into a ball on the chair next to her bed. Leila remembered perfectly well that this woman was her sister-her family, and that she owed her life to her. She unwillingly conjured up the memory of Jennifer getting shot and a blonde-haired man kneeling over her, desperately trying to keep her alive. Leila was snapped out of her daydream as the woman shifted and groaned. She stood, unaware that Leila was watching her, and stretched. Leila saw her wince and place a hand to her side.

"Does it hurt?" the teen asked meekly, startling the blonde. Slowly, the older woman approached the bed.

"Not really." Jennifer cleared her throat and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I need a shower." Leila picked up a strand of raven hair as if it were infected with the plague. Jennifer chuckled and Leila found herself enjoying the sound.

"Yea, I know what you mean." The blonde dragged the chair she had previously occupied closer to the bed. "Doctor Avery says you can get out of here once the stitches heal."

"How long have I been here?" Leila asked with a frown on her face. The older woman's features went blank as she tried to think of the correct answer.

"A week?" she guessed. "To be honest, I haven't really been keeping track of the time." Leila nodded and shifted, trying to reach for the cup of ice that Avery had left for when she awoke. "Let me." Jennifer reached over and placed an ice cube in her hand.

"Thanks." Leila mumbled as she worked the cube over, relishing the feeling as the water made its way down her throat. An uncomfortable silence crept over the two women, as neither once knew what to say.

"You shouldn't have done it." Leila told the woman. She frowned instead of replying. "Go down there, alone."

"It was the only way." The blonde explained. "If we would've come in, guns blazing, and forced him to give you up then either you or both of you would have died. I wasn't going to take that chance."

"At least then he'd be dead." The teen mumbled. JJ frowned, confused as to how Leila had learned of the outcome. "I heard them talking about it outside my door. Heard you shot him too."

"Some good _that_ did." JJ grumbled.

"At least it hurt." Leila rationalized. Both women glanced at one another as they chuckled. Before it could last long, Leila winced and placed a hand over her chest. JJ was out of her seat and hovering over the girl before she knew it. "It's fine."

"Do you need me to get Avery?" JJ asked as she righted the girl's pillows and covers. "Are you cold?"

"No, I'm fine. Really." Leila smiled at her and JJ stared. The smile didn't light up the girl's face as she had imagined it would. It didn't reach her eyes but then again, nothing probably created genuine happiness for her anymore.

"I'm sorry about your family." JJ said before she could stop herself.

"Yea," Leila sighed. "Me too."

"I-I know it's not as…real as what you had but," JJ stammered. "But for what it's worth, you have a new family now. Well, actually two."

"Thank you but," JJ's throat closed up as she pictured the next words coming out of Leila's mouth. "I don't think it's a good idea for me to be around people."

"What are you talking about?" the blonde asked, not hearing what she had expected at all.

"Everyone I…grow to care for gets hurt. I just don't think it's a good idea for-"

"That has nothing to do with you, Leila." JJ leaned closer to the girl. "What happened to your family was an accident, a tragic _accident_. And this? This was my-his fault. Nothing you did caused any of your suffering."

"You're wrong." Leila looked down as if embarrassed. JJ remembered how Alex Withers, Leila's studio coach, told Emily and Hotch that she had been plagued with guilt since the accident, eventually leading to an early stage of alcoholism. And that was without taking into account the fact that she had hospitalized her boyfriend.

"Why am I wrong Leila?" JJ pushed, gazing intently at the girl in hopes that her profiling skills could help.

"None of this would've happened if I just-" Leila's silky voice cracked along with her resolve and the events of the past six months finally crashed down on her. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks, staining her face, and her body shook uncontrollably with racking sobs. Caught by surprise, JJ simply watched for a moment before springing into action. She sat on the side of Leila's bed and reached out for her. Surprisingly, Leila didn't resist as JJ wrapped her arms around her and pulled her close. Reminded of the times Henry woke up crying, JJ stroked the girl's ebony hair as she felt hands clinging onto her for dear life. No words could comfort the girl and JJ knew this, so instead she hummed to her. At first, she couldn't remember where she had heard the melody before but then it hit her: the song that made Emily cry; the song Leila had written for her brother after his death. A few minutes past and before long Leila's body had ceased trembling and the tears had finally stopped flowing. A part of JJ didn't want to let her go and Leila indulged the woman a little longer, savoring the sound of another human's heartbeat.

"Sorry." She mumbled into JJ's shirt only to receive a shake of the head from the blonde.

"Don't be. You have every right to be upset and you don't have to hide it…especially from me." JJ added the end at the last second, liking the sound of it as it left her lips. After a few more seconds, Leila finally unwrapped herself from the woman and JJ passed the tissue box that had been waiting to be used since they got here. "You don't have to tell me."

"I want to." Leila admitted quietly. JJ placed her hand over her sister's and waited. "It was a Saturday. One of my friends had called me and told me about a party this guy was having. I went to go ask my parents if I could go and they said no. They told me I had to babysit, that they had already made plans and it was too short notice. We fought. When they left I put Henry to bed and snuck out." Leila wiped away a few stray tears before continuing. "We had a great time, half of us went home plastered, and when I got home it was around seven in the morning. The house was quiet so I just assumed everyone was asleep and no one had noticed I was missing. I was wrong."

"What happened?" JJ urged as Leila grew silent once more.

"I woke up to a cop at the front door about four hours later. Granted, I was completely hung-over so it took at least an hour to get me to understand what had happened. He told me that my parents and Henry had been hit by a drunk driver at 1:44 in the morning and that my mom and dad had died before the paramedics could get there." Leila choked on her own tears and furiously wiped at her eyes.

"And-and Henry?" JJ was almost too afraid to ask. Leila cleared her throat before answering.

"They got him to the hospital, this hospital actually. They told me that he had...asked for me before he…" Leila took in a shaky breath as JJ squeezed her hand. "My baby brother asked for me on his deathbed and I was sleeping off a hangover." Her voice rose.

"You couldn't have known that was going to happen, Leila. It was a freak accident." JJ tried to persuade her. Leila simply scoffed.

"You think it was an accident that they were out at 2 AM with a sleeping five year old in the backseat?" she practically yelled. "They went out because they were looking for me. They realized I was gone and got worried, because that's what they did best, and ended up getting killed because I was too much of a bitch to do what they told me!" JJ sat in stunned silence as she processed the information.

"That-that doesn't make it your fault." She pressed.

"If I didn't have to go to that stupid party, they would still be alive and Parrilla would have never been able to get in, kidnap me and _shoot you!_" Leila cried as she released the blonde's hand.

"You're wrong." JJ stated calmly. "Parrilla would have gotten what he wanted no matter what. If anything, he would have killed your family himself to get to you. I know that's not a comfort but you need to understand, just like I did, that there isn't anything we could have done to avoid this. Sometimes, our futures are laid out for us; their predetermined from the day we're born and there's nothing we can do to escape fate."

"You-you believe in fate?" Leila asked as she snatched more tissues from the Kleenex box.

"If I didn't before, I sure as hell do now." JJ confessed earning herself a confused look from the teen. _She told you JJ. Now you tell her._ "Leila, you aren't the first sister I've had."

"What do you mean?" the dark-haired teen asked.

"When I was eleven, my older sister, Andrea, committed suicide." JJ let the information sink in before continuing. "Just like you, I went through a…phase after it happened. Thought it was my fault, convinced myself that I should have seen the signs and done something about it, the whole shebang."

"But you were eleven." Leila persisted. "There's no way you-"

"Just like there's no way you could have predicted that not only did your long-lost sister have a sociopathic, manic stalker chasing her but that there would be a drunken idiot at that exact intersection at the exact moment your family was passing on the same night you decide to go to a party instead of babysit your brother." JJ rationalized quickly. "It took me a long time to get over my guilt and to move on but when I did I went on to have a normal life; a good life."

"Then this." Leila added quietly and JJ nodded.

"Don't get me wrong, this doesn't affect the 'good' part of the description."

"Just the 'normal'" Leila understood and offered the blonde a smile and nod.

"Exactly." JJ nodded in return. "Now I find out that my parents took away my second chance at being a good sister. I could have been everything Andrea was and more since I knew how I felt as the younger sister but they denied me that chance just as much as they denied you the chance at a normal life." JJ's resentment towards her parents grew more apparent by the second and did not go unnoticed by the younger Jareau.

"I take it they know how you feel?" Leila asked and JJ scoffed.

"Not as well as they're going to." The blonde practically growled.

"I'd hate to be Parrilla." Leila stated out of the blue. "If you can get this mad at your _parents_, I'd hate to see what'll happen if you get your hands on the man who shot you."

"_When_ I get my hands on him," JJ corrected, "I'm probably going to make him wish his parents never met." Leila chuckled and JJ couldn't help but smile at the sound.

"No objections here." She agreed. Before either woman could continue the conversation, the door burst open and the room filled with the patter of little feet.

"Momma! Guess what Daddy-" Henry stopped short as he realized _Snow White_ had finally awoken. JJ thought quickly as she picked up her son and kissed him on the head. Leila smiled at the scene, not surprised in the slightest that Jennifer was a mother.

"Honey, can you wait for-"

"What's your name?" the little boy asked Leila and she chuckled.

"I'm Leila." She told him and Henry blushed as she extended her hand to shake his.

"You're pretty." He informed her and she laughed, this time genuinely.

"You're very handsome yourself." She told the little boy. "What's your name?" Before JJ could stop her son from answering, he wriggled out of her arms and proceeded to sit on the edge of Leila's bed.

"I'm Henry!" he mimicked Leila's introduction and watched as her expression turned from one of joy to one of pure hurt. "What wrong?" Henry eased closer to the girl and she shook her head, willing the tears to go away so as not to scare the child.

"Nothing, nothing. Your hair is just so shiny that it hurts my eyes!" Leila exclaimed with a laugh. Henry quickly picked up one of the blankets over Leila's legs and covered his head.

"Better?" he asked the teen and waited quietly for an answer.

"Mhm, much. Thank you…Henry." Leila managed to choke out before JJ scooped up the boy and brought him to the door. Emily and Derek apologized for not being able to stop the boy and had the situation not been so emotional for Leila, JJ would have laughed at the two federal agents unable to catch a five year old.

"I'm sorry." She whispered as she stood by the door, far enough away from Leila. The girl just shook her head and continued to wipe away the tears she had allowed to fall.

"It's alright. It's okay." She seemed to be telling herself. JJ approached cautiously.

"I was going to wait to tell you. I didn't know how you'd react." She admitted.

"I understand." Leila smiled as she gave up trying to smear all the tears away. "He's adorable."

"He's got great manners too." JJ grumbled sarcastically. "Will and I have been trying to teach him how to knock for months. I don't think it's working."

"Will?" Leila lifted an eyebrow at her sister. "Is that your boyfriend?"

"Husband. As of May." JJ corrected with a smile.

"And how old is Henry?"

"Almost six." JJ responded.

"Well, if I didn't believe in fate before…." Leila trailed off and JJ chuckled. As silence overtook the room again, JJ realized that Leila's eyelids were drooping. "I think I'm gonna….sleep now." JJ nodded and pulled the covers up to her sister's chest.

"Goodnight Leila. I'll see you in the morning." JJ promised as she pushed a strand of hair out of the girl's eyes.

"G'night Jennifer." Leila muttered before allowing sleep to claim her once again. JJ sat in silence for a few moments, watching the steady rise and fall of Leila's chest as she slept, before rising and placing a kiss on the girl's forehead. As JJ left the room, the only thought going through her mind was that she had to find Henry and instill proper etiquette in the six year old... and that the boy's father could use a lesson or two while she was at it.

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Please, dear reader, drop a review. It only takes a few seconds & makes me feel special


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter XXXIX Spats and Slaps **

"Well?" Emily asked, growing impatient as she and Morgan stood waiting for their blonde friend to fill them in.

"It went…fairly well." JJ drawled.

"Fairly well?" Derek questioned with a raised eyebrow. "That's it? That's all we get?" JJ shrugged.

"I don't know, Derek." She sighed. "Obviously, meeting Henry was a shock in of its own and besides the fact that she told me she should 'be around people', everything went great."

"What did you expect, JJ?" Emily asked. "Literally everyone she's grown to love is either dead or gone. You can't expect her to be so willing to open herself up to that kind of pain again so soon."

"But we would never-"

"Look at what we do for a living." Morgan interrupted. "There's no guarantee that we're going to come home in one piece every day and she just can't handle another loss. You're her sister. If anything were to happen to you, especially after all of this, she'd lose it."

"I get that guys, I do." JJ ran a hand through her already tussled hair. "I was just really hoping she'd want to…"

"Live with you?" Emily asked, clearly skeptical. JJ simply shrugged.

"Yea, I guess that's-"

"Jennifer!" the three agents spun around, hands jumping to their holsters. At seeing her mother practically sprinting towards her, JJ rolled her eyes.

"Do you want us to-"

"I got it." The blonde replied hastily as she met her mother halfway. Crossing her arms across her chest, JJ waited for her to say something.

"How-how is she?" Sandy Jareau asked with a shaky voice. JJ's expression remained placid.

"Fine." She replied.

"Can I-"

"No." There was no way JJ was letting either one of her parents into that room.

"Jennifer, I-"

"Haven't you done enough damage?" the younger blonde spat, her anger clearly getting the best of her. Hurt flashed across her mother's eyes but JJ couldn't find it in her to care.

"I never wanted any of this to happen." Sandy lowered her head and mumbled.

"That's right, you just wanted to give her away and pretend like she never existed." JJ knew she was being terribly cruel but a part of her refused to let up. "Stay away from her."

"I am her _mother_!"

"No you aren't, Allison Ryan was."

"I have the right to-"

"You lost _every_ right the second you gave her up!" JJ felt Emily and Derek take a few steps closer to her, either for emotional support or to be able to hold her back in case she lunged for her mother. JJ couldn't tell which.

"She's eighteen. If she wants to see me, then you have no say." Sandy retorted, obviously growing angry herself.

"Leila may be a legal adult but the moment she became a patient in a hospital, she became a ward of the United States government. And guess who happens to_ work_ for the United States government?" JJ almost broke into a grin when she realized she had made a point her mother could argue against. The urge to smile, however, was quickly eradicated when she felt a sharp sting across her cheek as her mother slapped her. Derek and Emily exchanged uncomfortable glances as they both thought the same thing;_ how do we possibly respond to this? _Instead of reacting, JJ simply continued to stare at her mother as if it didn't happen. She ignored the burning feeling on her cheek and tried not to think about the fact that Derek and Emily had seen the whole thing.

"You can't keep us from seeing her forever." JJ's mother said as she seemed totally unashamed of what she had just done. Morgan and Emily had a feeling that this wasn't the first time Sandy had hit her daughter.

"Watch me." JJ replied coldly and watched as her mother turned on her heel and left, presumably to find her husband. As soon as the older Jareau was out of view, Emily walked up behind her friend and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?" the brunette asked as JJ turned around to reveal a patch of bright red skin on her left cheek.

"I'm fine." She said. "I'm going to go find Doctor Avery."

"I'll come with you." Emily offered, knowing that they couldn't leave JJ unguarded but also aware of the fact that JJ wanted nothing more than to be alone. Keeping her distance, Emily followed the blonde as she searched for Leila's doctor.

"Excuse me." a voice called out to Derek. He turned and was met face to face with a familiar looking teenager. The boy was tall, almost his height, with dark hair and pale jade eyes.

"Do you mind?" he asked sarcastically as Derek wouldn't let him into Leila's room.

"Yea, actually I do. Move along kid." The dark-skinned man crossed his arms and waited for the boy to leave.

"I'm not a kid and you're in my way." He shot back and waited for Derek to move. Whoever he was, he had balls to stand up to Derek like that. Sighing, Derek flashed his credentials.

"FBI. No one's allowed in without authorization."

"And who provides said authorization?" the teenager asked, clearly getting annoyed.

"She does." Derek pointed to JJ who was coming back up the hallway with Emily in tow. The boy took one glance at the pissed off blonde and quickly went to approach her. Stepping in front of him, Derek placed a hand on the boy's shoulders.

"Get off." The boy shoved Derek's hands away and tried to maneuver past him. Grabbing him by the arm, Derek swung the boy around and pinned him against the wall. "What the hell, man?!"

"Derek, what's going on?" Emily raced forward, adamant about keeping JJ behind her. "Who is this kid?" her hand slowly eased up to her holster for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

"He was trying to-"

"I'm trying to see my girlfriend, you tool!" the boy pushed off the wall with surprising strength and Derek lost his grip. Before he knew it, three guns were trained on him. "Whoa, calm down."

"We could tell you the same thing." Emily narrowed her eyes at the teen.

"Who are you?" JJ stepped closer, her gun pointed directly at the kid's head. "What do you want?"

"I'm looking for Leila Ryan- or whatever her last name is now." The boy explained. "My name's Jackson Vanbelle."

"You're-"

"Her boyfriend. And you are?" Jackson seemed to be noticing the physical similarities between JJ and Leila as the blonde came closer. JJ holstered her gun, urging Emily and Derek to follow suit, before approaching the boy.

"I'm her sister."

"That, I have no problem believing." Jackson stared at JJ, clearly unprepared for the shocking truth. JJ stared back. So this was the boy that had risked everything for Leila? He was handsome enough but JJ wouldn't feel content until she had Garcia run a more than thorough background check before letting him anywhere near her sister.

"Jennifer." She extended her arm and Jackson took it in his strong grip. "I've heard some things about you."

"I wish I could say the same." The boy smiled, his pearly white teeth only enhancing his good looks. JJ couldn't help but think _well done, Leila._ "Can you tell me what happened or is it _classified_?" Jackson made his voice deeper as he said the word, causing a small smile to appear on JJ's lips. Releasing his hand, she said,

"I'll fill you in. Let me just make a call first." There was no harm in starting that background check as soon as possible. As JJ strolled down the hall, leaving Emily, Derek, and Jackson alone, she couldn't help but think of how protective they were all getting of Leila. It brought another smile to her lips. Preparing herself for the vast array of _why didn't you call me sooner _and _I'll be on the next flight_, JJ dialed Garcia's number and waited.

"So you guys thought I was…" Jackson asked Emily and Derek.

"Here to deliver a message, kill Leila, take JJ, a mixture of all three; take your pick." Derek told the boy, trying to be nice. Jackson chuckled.

"Right."

"Sorry for almost shooting you." Emily smiled at the teenager. The same thought passed through her mind as it did JJ's: _nice catch Leila_.

"Sorry for scaring the crap out of you."

"We were_ not_ scared." Derek replied. "Just cautious."

"We'll go with that." Jackson smiled, clearly enjoying bothering Morgan. Both agents couldn't help but smile. The boy had a sense about him that made you like him immediately. They could see how the two teenagers made a perfect couple. "So, are you gonna let me in?"

"She's asleep now but by the time JJ finishes explaining to you what happened, I'm sure she'll be up." Emily explained.

"JJ is-"

"Jennifer, aka Sunshine or Barbie." Morgan told the boy nonchalantly.

"If you want to live, do _not_ under any circumstance, call her Barbie." Emily warned him and swatted Morgan's arm. Was he _trying_ to get the kid in trouble? Oh wait…

"I think I'll just stick to Jennifer…or Agent. Whichever one gets her to like me more." Jackson told her and the two agents laughed.

"Can't help you there, kid. I never dated anyone who had family members authorized to carry guns." Morgan shook his head. This boy was in for a real ride with this family of theirs.

"I'm not so sure it's not her you have to worry about." Emily raised an eyebrow. She pointed down the hallway to where Hotch, Rossi, Reid, Will, and Henry were. She saw Jackson visibly gulp and chuckled along with Derek. Poor kid.

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I really can't wait to write protective Rossi/Hotch/Will and even Henry! More reviews = faster updates!


	40. Chapter 40

I thought that the previous chapter would get some reviews & that's why I waited so long to update :(

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**Chapter XL Where Art Thou Romeo?**

"So," Hotch gaze the teenage boy his best glare. "You're Jackson." It wasn't an accident that every male present had surrounded the boy. Emily tried her best not to laugh out loud at Jackson's expression. Even her father hadn't been _this _bad. Before answering, the boy cleared his throat and resumed his staring match with Hotch.

"Yes. And you are…" Jackson offered his arm to the older man.

"Agent Hotchner." Hotch shook the boy's hand, surprised at his grip. "I'm Agent Jareau's boss and these are her teammates, Agents Rossi, Reid, and I presume you've already met Prentiss and Morgan."

"Not really. We didn't exchange formal greetings while they were pointing their guns at my face." Jackson joked, actually causing a few chuckles. "You must be-"

"Jennifer's husband." Will approached the boy and shook his hand. "Will. This is Henry."

"Henry?" Jackson almost jumped out of his boots. Recovering quickly, he bent down and shook Henry's hand as well. Everyone had to contain their laughter at the toddler's attempt to mimic the other's expressions.

"We know; crazy." Morgan mumbled behind him.

"Tell me about it." Jackson ran a hand through his hair, unknowingly giving everyone a perfect view of the scar on his head that Leila had given him. An uncomfortable silence settled over the group as they waited for JJ to finish her phone call.

"When did all of you get here?" JJ approached the group and bent to pick up her son. Everyone wisely chose to ignore the wince and flash of pain that crossed her eyes as she kissed the 5 year old positioned on her hip.

"Just now. Thought we'd…figure out a plan." Rossi explained, referring of course to the problem they were going to have with Strauss.

"Well I hope you haven't come up with anything too…rash." The blonde raised an eyebrow at her team members.

"Don't worry; we'll fill you in once we think of something." Emily added as she moved to take the squirming toddler from her friend's arms.

"Emmy, can we get eye-cream?" Henry asked the brunette. She chuckled along with the rest of the group.

"Ask your mommy if you can get some _ice_-cream." Emily flinched away from a whirl of blonde locks that caught her in the face as the toddler turned and stared at his mother with wide eyes.

"One scoop." JJ pointed at Emily with a serious expression. "And only if he _walks_ there." Emily and Henry shared a look as they quietly discussed the terms of negotiation.

"Deal." They both said at the same time and Emily placed Henry gently on the ground before having to practically sprint after him.

"That one's gonna have a great time being a mom." Morgan quipped causing everyone to laugh.

"You're going to have to ask _Chris_ about that first." Rossi added slyly and JJ smacked his shoulder playfully.

"Be nice. I think they make a perfect couple." She crossed her arms across her chest.

"Did you think that before or after he realized you were married?" Will tried hard to hide a smile as everyone else continued to laugh. JJ bit her lip as she made a mental to pay her male team members back for informing her husband about that.

"Right, I think we've kept you waiting long enough." JJ turned to Jackson. "We've got a lot to talk about."

"Lead the way." Jackson smiled at the blonde. Will took JJ's hand in his, giving her a look that said he wanted to be involved in the conversation.

"We'll be at the café if you need us." JJ informed the others. "How do you like your coffee Jackson?"

"Jack, please. Only my mother calls me Jackson." Both JJ and Will caught on to the way he said the word 'mother' and knew that that was a topic they had to eventually breach.

"Jack it is."

Two hours later JJ, Will, and Jack had finished their third cup of coffee and the conversation had finally gotten to the present.

"How did you know she was here?" JJ asked the teen.

"You guys are all over the news. There are only four hospitals in the area so I just checked them until I found her." Jack shrugged nonchalantly.

"You went to four hospitals?" Will asked, clearly impressed by the boy's determination.

"Wouldn't you?" was the reply. Will squeezed JJ's hand underneath the table and nodded.

"And your parents were okay with this?" JJ asked, wary of the subject but knowing that they had to discuss it.

"Hell no." Jack scoffed. "Ever since the…incident, my mom's been more than overprotective. She always thought Leila was a _bad influence_ on me and this was just an excuse for to get what she wanted."

"And what was that?"

"Me away from her. She packed us up and moved us to _Maine_." Jack's cheeks reddened at the thought of his mother. "I would have gotten here earlier if I didn't have to wait for her to go to work."

"She doesn't know you're here?" JJ asked, surprised and worried.

"I'm nineteen. She doesn't need to know where I am every second of every day. Besides, I left a note." Jack explained and JJ calmed. "My dad understands how I feel about Leila. He didn't want us to move, especially in my freshman year of college, but she was insistent."

"As a mother, I can see why she would feel that way." JJ said softly.

"She _knew_ how I feel about Leila." Jack almost yelled. "Yet she didn't even let me say goodbye."

"You love her." Will said quietly and Jack smiled and nodded.

"Yea." He blushed and played with his cuticles. "Yea, I really do."

"Even after what happened?" Clearly, JJ was surprised at the amount of affection the boy had for her sister.

"Like I care about a few stitches." He frowned. "It was my fault anyway. I knew what she'd be like but I still went to see her."

"You wanted to help her. There's nothing wrong with that." JJ insisted, placing her hand over the boy's. Jack simply nodded. At that moment, JJ's phone buzzed.

_She's up and asking for you. Don't think she knows he's here. Should I tell her? _

_EP_

JJ responded immediately, informing Will and Jack at the same time.

_No, let it be a surprise. We'll be right there. Where's Henry?_

_With Reid. Derek and Hotch went to the precinct to debrief and Rossi's with me. _

_What? Why aren't we with them? _

_Doesn't matter, just get up here and stop worrying. _

"What is it?" Will asked his wife, seeing the scowl that was growing on her features.

"They're debriefing without us. Let's go." JJ led the way back to the room. Stopping just short of the door, she turned to Jack. "She doesn't know you're here. Let me go in and tell her first okay?" He nodded, clearly more than excited at seeing his girlfriend again.

"Hey. How'd you sleep?" JJ asked as she closed the door behind her.

"Not bad." Leila rubbed her eyes and stretched as much as she could without irritating the stitches on her chest.

"This is Will." JJ released her husband's hand and practically shoved him forward.

"Ah, the husband." Leila smiled at the man and extended her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. You gave us a bit of a scare there." Will said, his southern accent catching her by surprise.

"Yea, I like to keep people on their toes." Leila smiled again as Will chuckled.

"Another thing you and JJ have in common." He stated.

"A discussion for another time. There's someone here to see you." JJ grinned from ear to ear as her sister frowned. JJ went to the door and slowly opened it. Motioning for whoever it was to come inside, JJ and Will slowly moved out the way. As her visitor came into view, Leila's heart monitor increased its pace and she almost shot out of her bed.

"Jack." Leila's whisper was barely audible as she took in the sight of her boyfriend. Jack smiled and revealed his perfect teeth to her. His emerald eyes brimmed with tears as he slowly approached her.

"Hey Leils." He stood at the side of her bed as she tried to straighten herself. Before she could adjust, Jack wrapped his toned arms around her and drew her close. Careful not to press her too hard, he let a few tears fall into Leila's hair. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too." Leila mumbled in his ear as she squeezed him, desperate to make sure he was real.

"Don't ever scare me like that again. Please." Jack drew back and cupped her face. She smiled and wiped away the tears that had fallen down his face.

"I'm so sorry." She told him and he simply shook his head.

"Don't be. None of this was your fault." Jack placed a kiss on her forehead and took her hands in his. Leila, completely forgetting about the audience the two had, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him forcefully. JJ and Will shared a silent chuckle as they waited for the 'greeting' to end. JJ knew she should be uncomfortable with someone kissing her younger sister but for now, she would allow it. It was only fair. Soon enough, the two broke apart, Leila blushing furiously as she noticed the tight smiles on JJ and Will's lips.

"How did you find him?" she asked her sister, willing the heat to leave her cheeks.

"We didn't. He found us." JJ informed her proudly. "We'll give you two some time alone. _Some._" JJ emphasized the last word with a smile as she led Will out the door.

"I think we're going to have to buy an extra gun." Will whispered in her ear as they found a place to sit. JJ laughed wholeheartedly and pecked her husband on the lips.

"I think you just might just have a point."


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter XLI Coming to a Close**

"That has got to be the cutest thing I've seen in years." Emily uttered as she whipped out her cell phone and snapped a picture. JJ stifled a chuckle as she saw Leila shift in her sleep. The girl nuzzled her head further into the crook of Jack's neck. His arm wrapped around her subconsciously and the snap of Emily's camera was the only sound they could hear.

"We should wake them up." A frowning Hotch said a little too loudly. Both women glared at him and noticed the disapproving look on their boss' face.

"Hotch, they're just sleeping." JJ pointed out with a smile. Hotch didn't stir.

"How are you okay with that?" he asked her, confused as to why JJ allowed the two to remain so close.

"I'm her sister, not her mother Aaron." The blonde crossed her arms across her chest, a frown of her own appearing quickly.

"Alrighty then," Emily ushered the two out of the room and away from one another. "They should be waking up any second now. How about we go get some coffee?" JJ nodded and followed her friend down the hall, leaving a disgruntled Hotch behind. By the time they returned with four steaming cups, Leila and Jack had awoken.

"That smells heavenly." Leila cried as soon as JJ and Emily opened the door. They chuckled and took their seats besides her bed.

"Not for you." JJ pointed out and handed a cup to Jack. He thanked her with a smile and practically breathed in the liquid. Leila pouted at the three and waited for someone to give in.

"It's nice to know that your addiction is genetic." Emily said to her friend and JJ elbowed.

"If you're not going to give me some coffee, at least tell me when I'm getting out of here." Leila crossed her arms and frowned.

"Today if you want." JJ smiled at her sister who beamed; coffee forgotten. "I talked with Doctor Avery and she said all you have to do is remember to take your pills and complete three weeks of physical therapy."

"Three weeks?!" Leila cried, surprised. JJ nodded and sympathized. She knew she wouldn't be allowed back into the field for at least another month and the thought of the stationary she would be drowning in made her sweat.

"If it's any consolation, I have PT too." JJ grinned at her sister as she sighed. "We could do-" JJ caught herself before she could complete the sentence.

"Do what?" Leila asked and when JJ didn't respond, poked her in the shoulder.

"I was-" JJ cleared her throat and started to pick at her cuticles. "I was just going to say that we could do it together. Of course, we don't have to. I just meant that if you'd like to come with us, you're more than welcome." JJ finished the invitation so quickly, Emily's head was reeling. Who know JJ could talk so fast? Leila stared at the woman, her mouth slightly open and Emily could see that the blonde immediately regretted voicing her thoughts. "I didn't mean to-"

"No," Leila waved a hand, dismissing JJ's apology. "I-I thought about it and I…I would love to come to D.C with you. If you'd have me of course." Leila rushed through her sentence just as quickly as JJ did and the similarities between the sisters continued to shock the people around them. JJ sat on the edge of Leila's bed and hugged her sister tightly before wiping away a tear that had made its way down her face.

"Wait!" JJ cried, something obviously important coming to her attention. "What are you going to do about school?"

"Well…Stanford's nice and all," Leila smiled slyly. "But did I forget to mention that George Washington also gave me a scholarship?"

"George Washington as in George Washington University in Washington D.C?" JJ asked, her mouth now agape. Leila nodded and hugged her sister again. The preparation for their departure was completed quickly; every member of the team aching to get home. Emily was already excited for the plans she had made with Chris in two weeks time and no one missed the smiles that were exchanged between Hotch and Doctor Avery before they left. JJ and Emily took Leila to her house and helped her pack up all of her belongings. It turned out that the house had been for sale and a buyer was listed. Leila also sold the cars and boat and left Jersey over 2 million dollars richer. She put it straight into her bank account, along with her parent's insurance money and listed JJ as her sole beneficiary. JJ's parents left a day before them without speaking to Leila. They agreed that the matter could be discussed after everyone's wounds had healed properly. Jack had previously enrolled in the class of 2015 at the Columbus School of Law in D.C and planned to become a criminal prosecutor, exactly like Hotch had been. Everything seemed to work out perfectly for them; thoughts of Jeremy Parrilla and the pain he had once caused became distant memories as their happiness clouded them from any concern they previously felt.

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As the chapter title says, we are coming to a close and I believe I'll be posting one more chapter and then an epilogue to conclude our tale! Let me know what you think.


	42. Chapter 42

**GUESS WHAT? **This is our last chapter :( I was so sad when I finished this; I felt like my puppy died or something. Either way, just wanted to say this: if the story gets to 100 reviews, the 100th person will be featured in the sequel! I'll be adding that AN in the first chapter too. Enjoy!

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**Chapter XLII Remembrance of Things Past**

Leila sat with her legs crossed in a room at the FBI headquarters in Quantico. She tapped her fingers impatiently on the arm rest of the chair she had been given and waited for someone to speak first.

"Leila," the short, blonde woman addressed her. "How have you settled in?"

"Very well, thank you." She replied, her voice sleek with honey. The woman opened the file in front of her and cleared her throat.

"I'm sure you know why you're here." She said as she pretended to scan the pages. The two men flanking her were strangers to Leila but she assumed they were important.

"I'm here because you think there was something with the way the BAU handled my case." She said flatly and watched as the woman in black shifted uncomfortably.

"Leila, you need to understand that your sister-"

"Risked her life to save mine. That's all there is to it Chief Strauss." Leila narrowed her eyes at the woman. She might have the power over her friends but there was nothing Strauss could do to her. "They all did and I'm alive because of it."

"Yes, you are alive." Strauss repeated, her tone condescending. "But so is Jeremy Parrilla."

"You know what happened. How do you expect-"

"I expect my agents to able to control themselves long enough to apprehend a dangerous criminal- as is their job." Strauss spat at the girl who seemed completely unfazed.

"You and I both know that there was _nothing_ that could have been done about that. He escaped because he's smart and resourceful but I have every confidence that he'll be found and brought to proper justice." Leila uncrossed her legs and smoothed out her pants.

"And what is your idea of 'proper justice' for this man?" Strauss asked, genuinely interested at the teenager's response.

"My thoughts about Parrilla are irrelevant." Leila replied quickly and rose out of her seat. "I'm not going to sit here and listen to you insult my sister and her team. You're wasting my time."

"Wait." A male voice stopped her as she turned her back towards the three board members. The man to Strauss' right leaned towards her and whispered something in her ear. Strauss' face contorted into what could resemble a scowl but she continued to listen. When he was finished, the man rose and faced Leila.

"Ms. Ryan, we sympathize with what you and your family have been through and never intended to downplay the role of the BAU in your survival." He smiled at her and Leila felt like a child being complimented for winning a talent show. "Rest assured; Agent Jareau will be awarded for her bravery and dedication."

"So…you don't plan on firing her?" Leila asked softly, confused at the sudden change in mood. Strauss looked like she was about to blow a gasket behind the man but remained silent. The man scoffed and chuckled.

"We simply wanted to make sure we had all the facts before we release the truth to the press." The grey haired man from behind spoke for the first time. "After all, the Bureau could always use more heroes." Suddenly, Leila understood what this was really about. She plastered a fake smile on her lips and nodded. They just wanted positive publicity; they didn't care about JJ getting shot or Parrilla escaping. Strauss on the other hand looked close to hysterical as Leila exited the room. Pushing the thought from her mind, Leila focused on the fact that JJ's job was secure and her future with the FBI intact. She found the glass doors to the BAU bullpen quickly enough and opened them in a hurry. She felt the familiar tug of the stitches over her heart as she released the door and sighed. It had been three weeks since they left the hospital in Jersey and although she could feel a drastic change in her health, Leila was still annoyed every time a reminder of her injuries occurred. Her hand throbbed as if on cue and she made a mental note to apply more of the solution Doctor Avery had given her when she got home.

"How'd it go?" Emily was the first to see her enter the bullpen. The brunette seemed to glow after her meeting with Chris last week and Leila couldn't help but smile every time she thought of the couple.

"Not bad. Strauss looks pissed though." Leila motioned behind her as the Dragon Lady herself entered her office. Emily waved a hand in dismissal.

"What else is new?" she led Leila to the round table room and the two joined the rest of the team minus Hotch. Leila explained to them what the board members had said and what their main concerns were. No one was surprised.

"I wouldn't be surprised if we went home and had an invitation to a Gala waiting in our mailboxes." Rossi grumbled, the thought of a Bureau ball weighing heavy on their minds.

"I'm sure it can't be _that_ bad." Leila chuckled only to receive raised eyebrows. "Or maybe it can be."

"It _will_ be." Hotch corrected as he strode in and took a seat. He brought a hand on the table and showed them the piece of paper in it.

"Damn, they work fast." Derek mumbled as Emily took the paper.

"_The Federal Bureau of Investigation cordially invites you to the annual Heroes Gala in Washington D.C on August 22, 2013 at 6 PM. Honorary Recipients: Special Agent Peter Norton: FBI Shield of Bravery, Major Peter Cross: FBI Medal for Meritorious Achievement, Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer Jareau: FBI Star."_ Emily finished reading the invitation and all eyes fell to JJ.

"What?" she said defensively, uncomfortable with the stares she was receiving.

"You're getting the Star and didn't think to tell us?" Reid asked his friend and JJ shrugged.

"I didn't think it mattered." JJ shrugged it off and sat back down, pretending not to notice the look of shock on everyone's faces.

"'Didn't think it mattered?'" Rossi repeated; mouth slightly open at the blonde. She nodded without looking up.

"I think this deserves a little celebration of our own." Morgan announced with a smile.

"Actually," Leila smirked as the perfect opportunity presented itself. "I have something for all of you. A sort of thank you." Each team member, including JJ, frowned at the teenager as she pulled six envelopes out of her purse. Handing them to each adult, Leila stood back and waited for their reactions. She was unsurprised when Spencer was the first one to finish reading. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped. By the time he was ready to speak, the rest of the team had finished reading.

"You got us a vacation?" Emily asked, a small smile adorning her features. Leila shook her head.

"Not just any vacation. Turn it over." They did as they were told and were met with a picture of what could easily pass as an exotic resort. One by one, they remembered that the Ryan's had a house in the Mediterranean and guessed that this was it.

"You got us a vacation in your house in Greece?" Morgan corrected as equally dumbfounded looks were exchanged. Leila nodded with a smile.

"I thought, after everything we've been through together, it'd be nice to have a couple of good memories. Of course, the invitation extends to Will and Henry." She nodded at her sister who chuckled back. "Oh and Aaron, Em?" the dark-haired duo in question turned to face her. "I talked to Chris and Joan and made sure they'd be joining us." A furious blush took over their cheeks as grins passed from one face to another.

"You didn't have to do this." JJ muttered as she hugged her sister tightly. Leila smiled into JJ's shoulder and nodded.

"I know. I wanted to. You deserve it; all of you." The sisters released one another only for Leila to be enveloped by a waiting Emily and the rest of the team afterwards.

"You're coming too, right?" Spencer asked as he let go of her. Leila nudged him playfully.

"You'd all be lost in a foreign country without me." she joked, completely aware of the fact that they had a seasoned traveler in their midst. "Better brush up on your Greek, Em."

"Oh, please. I'm sure it's better than yours." Emily smirked as Leila raised an eyebrow. Leila muttered something in the language in question and Emily gasped as she threw a pen at her head. "You better wash her mouth out with soap when you get home, JJ."

"She'd have to catch me first." Leila smiled as the blonde raised her own eyebrow. Bickering commenced on whether or not Leila could escape from JJ and soon enough they came to the conclusion that the theory would need to be tested. Emily and Morgan placed bets until their own debate started over who could beat their winner. The two Jareaus seemed insulted that they thought they would be beaten and soon added Derek and Emily's name to their race. Hotch, Rossi and Spencer eased away from the four, not wanting to be coaxed into competing against the most competitive people they had ever met.

"When does our flight leave?" Rossi quieted the group.

"This Saturday so you better get packing." She smiled at the group as they said their goodbyes and wandered off; Hotch and Rossi to finish their paperwork, Emily to the ladies room, Morgan towards the coffee machine, Spencer to his desk, and the two sisters to the car. It had taken a while to get Leila in and out of a car without trouble; her fear was so enrooted into her life that the mere thought of one paralyzed her more than Parrilla did. JJ didn't think the girl would ever willingly get behind the wheel but in a city like D.C, that wasn't much of a problem. Leila had grown strangely accustomed to staring at blinking lights and it had taken the team some time to understand where the habit came from. One night, she explained to JJ that when the camera in the basement wasn't on, it blinked red. Leila said she clearly remembers thinking that the second it stopped blinking, she could feel safer knowing that someone was with her. Even now as JJ slowed the car to a stop behind an SUV, she could see Leila staring blankly at the SUV's right blinker.

Three days later, the nine left for their much anticipated vacation. Leila knew that inviting Jack would cause awkwardness for the others so she explained the situation to him and as usual, he understood. Their three weeks on the island not only strengthened the bond the team already had, but helped establish new ones with the others. Chris and Emily seemed to get more comfortable with one another as the seconds trickled by; holding hands in front of everyone and sleeping in the same bed. One night, Leila was sure she heard…non-platonic sounds from the direction of the couple's bedroom but she couldn't be sure. Besides, it could always have been JJ and Will. The thought grossed her out immediately and Leila cringed only to be caught by Rossi. He smiled knowingly at her and shook his head; he heard it too. The day before they left, a race was scheduled.

"Twice around the mountain, watch your footing though. I don't want to have to come back and get you." Leila winked at her three opponents before taking her place. Reid and Rossi started them off and Hotch would be waiting at the halfway mark. The three mile run was cake for all of them but taking into account JJ and Leila's recent injuries, Rossi and Hotch betted on Morgan. Chris, of course, had betted on Emily, Will on JJ, Henry on Leila and Joan on JJ. Spencer preferred not to engage in the wager for obvious reasons. It took the winner only six minutes to cross the finish line and few were surprised when all four competitors crossed the line almost simultaneously. They stood, panting and catching their breaths, and waited for the results. Their audience stood in silence, no one completely sure of who had won.

"Well?" Emily asked them after a minute of waiting. "Who won?"

"Leila, Leila won!" Henry cried, bouncing up and down. Everyone chuckled; of course Henry thought Leila won. She ran to him and picked him up, giving him a kiss on the cheek before hugging him. In the end it was decided that it was too close to tell and each contestant seemed satisfied enough.

The time for the annual Heroes Gala had arrived and JJ and Leila had a problem: neither one of them had a dress.

"What are you talking about, cher?" Will drawled while watching his wife pace back and forth in front of her open closet. "I count five dresses from here." JJ waved her hand in dismissal.

"Will, you can't understand. Don't-" she was stopped midsentence by Will grabbing her around the waist. He drew her towards him and held her close before feeling the bed hit the back of his knees. He allowed himself to topple on top of it, JJ still firmly in his grasp, causing the blonde to land on him. "Well, if you insist." He kissed her deeply and JJ had to remember to breathe before responding.

"Very funny." She tried to hide a smirk as her husband peppered her face and neck with kisses. "Emily will be here any second." He simply hummed in return, continuing his assault on her neck. Slowly, JJ felt her resolve wither away and started to kiss her husband back with equal force. Before she knew it, her legs were wrapped around his waist; her hands tangled in his hair while his continued to explore her. She played with the hem of Will's shirt and it was off in seconds, hers following quickly. As his hands trailed up her back to the clasp of her bra, neither were aware of the audience they had.

"Jay, Emily's-" Leila poked her head in and her eyes widened at what she saw. "I am SO sorry!" She placed a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh and shut her eyes as JJ unwrapped herself from Will and collected her clothing. Tossing Will his shirt, JJ saw her sister struggling to contain her laughter.

"You can open your eyes now." She said, her glare boring into the girl's face.

"Nope, I'm good. Whatever it is you're doing just…stop." Leila shook her head furiously, her eyes still closed as she spoke. "Emily's here…unless you prefer to stay home." A pillow met her face but Leila still refused to open her eyes and bolted down the stairs.

"What's taking her so long?" Emily called from the kitchen as she entertained Henry. Leila walked in looking like she had seen the boogeyman. "Everything alright?"

"There are some things in this world…that you can never really _unsee_." Leila shook her head slowly before continuing. "One would be being kidnapped by a crazy person; that takes the cake but in close second would definitely be the sight of your sister and her husband getting it on at 1 in the afternoon." Emily burst into laughter, not bothering to contain herself like Leila had. As if on cue, they heard the sound of footsteps and JJ entered the kitchen.

"Ready to go?" she asked nonchalantly. Emily and Leila shared a look.

"I don't know, are _you_?" Leila asked sarcastically.

"Don't wanna go back upstairs and, oh I don't know, maybe brush your hair?" Emily motioned to her own head and JJ ran to the nearest mirror.

It was August 22 and the time was 5:30. Both Jareau women rushed to get ready, their transport for the night practically down the street. Will and Henry watched in awe as the two ran from one room to another, grabbing jewelry and make up, adding a little more hairspray into their hair, making sure they had all the necessary items in their purses and giving one another a final check.

"See son, this is why you should be happy you're a boy." Will whispered to his son who looked absolutely precious in a tux. Henry nodded knowingly before rushing to his mother's side.

"Mommy, Emmy's gonna be here soon." He tugged on her to get her attention. Just then, the doorbell rang and Henry ran to answer it. They could hear Emily, Chris and Morgan telling Henry how handsome he looked and quickly collected their things.

"Em, that dress is stunning!" Leila cried as soon as she saw the woman in red. Chris wrapped an arm proudly around her waist.

"I could say the same for you two." Emily smiled as she caught sight of the two Jareaus in different shades of blue. JJ wore a light, almost icy blue that brought out her deep blue eyes and Leila; a deep, royal blue that fit her like a glove.

"You all look great." Will complimented the woman who blushed in return.

"Yea, we all look fabulous now can we please go?" Morgan held the door open restlessly.

"Always the gentlemen." Emily mumbled as they made their way to the car. Once they arrived, their doors were opened by the valet service and they immediately caught sight of Spencer, Hotch, Rossi and Garcia. No one was surprised to see Joan at their boss' side and they each exchanged greetings. Joan wore a simple, silver dress that matched Hotch's bowtie perfectly while Garcia, being Garcia, wore a bright pink dress completed with pink streaks in her blonde hair.

"Well, shall we?" Hotch offered his arm to Joan and led the entourage inside.

"Name, sir?" a young man resembling Josh Hutcherson asked.

"SSA Aaron Hotchner of the Behavioral Analysis Unit." He motioned to the people behind him and the youth raised his eyebrows.

"You're all seated at one of the VIP tables. Please follow me. May I take your coats?" They each handed him their coats with a smile.

"VIP table?" Emily whispered to JJ who smiled in return.

"Our titles _do_ say 'special', Emily." They shared a laugh that was stopped midway as they entered the ballroom. Even Leila's jaw dropped as she took in the beautiful room.

"They sure don't kid around." Rossi muttered distain clear in his words. As the BAU and its guests took their seats, they caught sight of Strauss and immediately stiffened.

"Agents, Leila." She shook their hands and turned to Chris and Joan who didn't seem fazed by her judgmental expression.

"Detective Chris Knox." He offered his hand and shook the section Chief's firmly.

"Ah yes, I've heard about you Detective. How are you liking Washington?" she asked the blonde man who smiled and stole a glance at Emily.

"I think I'll stay a while." His smile widened when he saw the brunette blush and avoid her boss' gaze.

"You must be Doctor Avery." Strauss took in the slender woman in silver who smiled slightly. They shook hands as Joan nodded.

"Joan, please."

"I hear you're quite the miracle working, Doctor; bringing our Leila back from the dead and whatnot." Strauss smiled as she turned to the BAU. "Make sure you enjoy your night Agents, especially you Agent Jareau." Strauss turned swiftly and strode off without waiting for a reply.

"Well that was…" Hotch searched for the proper word.

"Weird." Emily and Chris finished together, as usual.

"Forget about her, tonight's about having fun." Morgan smiled and clasped his hands together.

"Morgan, do _not_ to try pick up another girl from Counter Terrorism. You know they can eat you alive." Emily rolled her eyes at the man who ignored her comment completely. When the time came for JJ to receive her award, the sound of the BAU and its additions could be heard three blocks away. Photographers snapped pictures that would surely be published in the morning paper, Leila was visibly tearing up as Chief Strauss pinned the Star to JJ's chest and the sisters hugged warmly after JJ got off stage. The rest of the evening passed smoothly and ended with Henry falling asleep in Leila's arms and Emily on the verge of doing the same in Chris'. Leila fell asleep on the ride home and only woke up long enough to put her nephew to bed and take off her makeup before falling onto bed, still in her dress. JJ and Will bid the team goodnight and watched them drive away, discussing the 'oh so hot' topic of Emily and Chris. JJ gave it three months before they were engaged, Will gave it one. As JJ slipped out of her dress and crawled into bed, she couldn't help but think of all the trouble they had gone through to get to this point of happiness in their lives. Sure; there would be more criminals to chase down, more psychopaths to decipher, but for now her family was together and safe. JJ wouldn't have it any other way.

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Oh wow, that was the longest chapter I've ever written. I'm so sad it's over but don't worry; the sequel is already brewing in my mind! Leave a review and let me know what you think & be ready for an epilogue soon!


	43. Chapter 43

Oh my God, I cannot believe this is it. Pressing that 'complete' button really hurt. Sorry it took so long, my trip was more busy than expected and I finally got back last night. I can't wait to hear what you have to say about the epilogue and the story in general and I also cannot wait to post a sequel! It's going to be so great! Thank you sooo much for sticking with me and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Make sure to keep this story (or me) on your follow list so you can know as soon as I post the next part of our adventure! Thanks again!

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**Epilogue**

The knock on the front door snapped JJ out of her daydream and she quickly hopped off the couch to see who it was.

"Hey Em." The blonde greeted her friend cheerfully as she opened the door. She hugged the brunette and wondered aloud why she had stopped by.

"I was just passing through and thought I'd say hi." Emily answered quietly, placing a pale hand to her forehead. Before JJ could ask what was wrong, the pounding of footsteps down the stairs was heard.

"Emmy!" Henry squealed as he caught sight of his aunt. The five year old launched himself at her and Emily managed to catch him mid-air as always. JJ didn't miss the hesitation as Emily seemed to put more effort than usual in lifting her son. "Emmy, I miss you!"

"I missed you too Henry!" She placed a kiss on the boy's nose before putting him back down. Will made his way down the stairs and waved at her from the bottom. "Where's Leila?"

"She should be back soon. Come in, let me get some coffee." JJ ushered her towards the kitchen and set a pot to brew. When she turned around she saw Emily rub her eyes furiously and frowned. "Em, what's wrong?"

"Just haven't been sleeping well." The brunette mumbled as she continued to massage her temples. JJ took in how pale and tired Emily seemed and approached her with concern. Placing a hand on her back, she led her to a chair and sat her down.

"How come? It isn't the dreams is it?" JJ was referring to the persistent nightmares Emily had gotten after her ordeal with Doyle but the brunette shook her head. "I'll get you something to eat." As JJ opened the refrigerator door and examined its contents, Emily felt her stomach flop. She stood uneasily and placed a hand over her abdomen. A smell caught her attention- ham, she believed- and sent a wave of nausea through her. Forgetting her fatigue, Emily pressed her hand tightly over her mouth and sprinted down the hallway until she reached the bathroom. She could faintly hear JJ calling after and the blonde's footsteps as she followed but couldn't stop as she lifted the toilet seat lid and emptied what little was in her stomach. She felt JJ pull her hair back and pat her back as wave after wave of nausea left.

"Sorry." Emily mumbled as she rocked back on her heels. JJ handed her a towel as she looked at her incredulously.

"Em, did you go out last night?" the blonde crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"No, no, that's not it." Emily shook her head as she raised herself onto unsteady feet. The pair made their way back to the kitchen where JJ poured her a glass of water and waited for an explanation.

"Well then what is it?" JJ sat on the edge of the kitchen counter as Emily downed the glass in one gulp.

"I don't know. I haven't really been feeling well for days." She explained and shook her head. "At work yesterday I thought I was going to die of a heat stroke all the while planning how to murder Morgan and get away with it."

"So you've been having mood swings?" JJ slowly lowered herself from the counter. "And hot flashes? And random nausea?" As Emily nodded, an idea formed into JJ's head. "Em, when was the last time you saw Chris?"

"About a month ago, why?" Emily frowned, wondering what her current relationship status had to do with the unrelenting bug.

"And when was the last time you…_saw_ Chris?" JJ raised her eyebrow again and attempted not to smirk. Emily caught her meaning and waved a hand in dismissal.

"I know what you're thinking and there's no way-"

"Isn't there?" JJ interrupted, the smirk never leaving her lips.

"No. I mean, well…I don't think…" Emily's eyes widened slowly as realization set in. JJ resisted the urge to shriek as she led Emily to the nearest bathroom and handed her a small, rectangular box. Minutes later, the brunette emerged with a dumbfounded look on her face. "Holy shit."

"Oh my God!" JJ squealed as she clapped furiously and embraced her friend.

"I'm…I'm pregnant." Emily's mind finally caught up with the situation as she stared blankly into JJ's eyes.

"Yes, you are." JJ wondered if Emily was at all pleased with the knowledge and recalled the night she had found out what happened when Emily was 15. "Em…are you... alright?"

"I'm going-I'm going to have a baby." Emily swayed backwards only to be caught. Realizing she had fallen to the ground, she took in the concerned look on her friend's face. "I'm alright."

"Are you sure?" JJ pushed a strand of dark hair out of her eyes and helped her stand. Emily nodded dumbly.

"I'm…more than alright." She looked up and smiled a thousand watt smile at the blonde before returning the embrace. The two women laughed furiously as the excitement settled in, drawing the attention of Will, Henry, and the newly arrived Leila. Will hugged her, a smile adorning his handsome face as he congratulated her. Henry stood passively, confused as to why everyone was so happy but more than happy himself as Emily kissed him on the forehead. Leila reacted much like JJ had; squealing and clapping her hands together furiously while jumping up and down. "I have to tell Chris." The blue-eyed family nodded and smiled as they watched Emily get into her car and drive towards her apartment. They all couldn't help but think how perfect their ending had been.

This wasn't right. This was supposed to be better than the last. She wasn't supposed to give up so quickly. He paced around the room, running a bloody hand through his hair as anger boiled madly in his veins. The blonde had died too quickly, she hadn't lived up to his expectations…she hadn't been _her_. As Jeremy gazed at the mangled corpse of his victim, he couldn't help but think about her; his Jennifer; how perfectly she would fit against him, how wonderfully the two would collide in a passionate embrace, how their chance had been ruined by that dark-haired bitch. Stepping over the body of his surrogate, Jeremy narrowed his eyes at the shrinking woman who still drew breath. The brunette hid behind a veil of her hair as she trembled against the corner of her prison. He had beaten her previously, enough so that she wouldn't dare oppose him, and now her time was up.

"This is all your fault." He spat at her as she shook violently. A small whimper escaped her lips as he latched onto her dark hair and yanked her forward. Her one eye had been swollen shut, a deep cut ran from her eyebrow to the top of her head, her nose had finally stopped bleeding and her lip had been split open more times than ether one of them could count. The one eye that remained open became wet immediately as she realized what was coming. The deep blue only signed her death warrant as Jeremy tightened his grip in her hair. "This didn't have to happen." He placed emphasize on ever word and drew a large, hunting knife from his back pocket. As he showed it to her, she screamed and more tears stained her once beautiful face. The sound vibrated in the room; not of any concern to the man since there was no one around for miles. Instead, he relished in it since he knew that soon, those same sounds would leave the lips of the one person who deserved it most. He brought the knife down hard and fast, almost laughing in giddy joy every time the tip penetrated the girl's torso. Blood stained his face and clothes as he continued to stab her long after she had died. Only when exhaustion took over did Jeremy finally cease his attack. Standing on weary feet, he tried to wipe away the blood from his face with his blood-soaked hands and closed his eyes. A smile passed his lips as he reached forward and gently touched the picture on the wall.

"Soon." He whispered to it as the woman's blood stained the glass frame. Closing his eyes he pictured the two women he wanted most and almost felt his heart explode. "So soon."

**_The End_**


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